“The Athletic Football Show” is previewing all 32 teams leading up to the start of the 2026 NFL season. Below are select quotes from the show’s preview of the Chicago Bears. The quotes are edited for clarity. You can watch the whole preview on YouTube and in the embedded video below, or listen to the full NFC North preview wherever you get your podcasts.Robert Mays on what about the Bears most excites him: I’m on record saying the offense has a monstrous ceiling. Monstrous. They may not reach it, but the ceiling for this team, if things click into place, is astronomical. From Week 5 on last season, they were fourth in explosive play rate, fourth in EPA per play, seventh in offensive success rate, first in EPA per rush and first in rushing success rate. From Week 5 on, the past four years, Ben Johnson’s offenses have ranked no lower than sixth in EPA per play.We have a play caller who has shown a consistent ability to produce these sorts of results with a group of players that, while still young and needing to take a step collectively, has nuclear potential. The combination of Luther Burden, Colston Loveland, healthy Rome Odunze, and Caleb Williams, combined with this running game … we say the sky is the limit sometimes, and we don’t really mean it. The sky is the limit.Derrik Klassen on what he’s watching the first month of the season: Sometimes when we’re thinking about offensive or defensive play callers, we ask what the evolution is going to be because they need it. With Johnson, I trust that something will come, and it’s not about whether it’s going to happen. This is where you know he’s in Sean McVay territory. Every year, going through a McVay season, it’s not about how they need to iterate or “How are they going to fix this?” We know they’re going to do something awesome, and we want to know what it’s going to be. And with Johnson, they’re going to do something really cool.I want to see what it’s going to be. I really don’t even have a hunch as to what it might be. They drafted Sam Roush, so maybe they think he can give them a little bit more with some of the three-tight-end stuff. Whatever it’s going to be, I’m incredibly excited to see it.Dave Helman on what’s keeping him up at night: Every single thing about the Bears defense not only keeps me awake at night, but drastically alters my opinion of this team. I could talk for another 30 minutes about all the things I can’t wait to see about this offense. I’m terrified of the defense. I assume it’s going to be bad. Kyler Gordon is officially on the physically unable to perform list. Coby Bryant is out for most of the season. Cam Lewis might be your starting nickel. Xavier Woods could be a nice mid-August signing if he’s healthy, but you don’t want to be making mid-August signings if you have real aspirations to do something.