Chicago’s All-Pros? Nahshon Wright’s breakout season? Plus, Week 13 picks: Bears mailbag – The Athletic
Chicago Bears fans are in unfamiliar territory: It’s Thanksgiving weekend, and their team has a game with playoff implications.
At the risk of falling for holiday trope, fans have plenty to be thankful for, as do all the employees at Halas Hall. The Bears are winning. They’re doing so in dramatic fashion. And they’re having fun doing it.
It’s a stark contrast to last Thanksgiving, which turned out to be Matt Eberflus’ final game as head coach. In 2022 and 2023, the Bears were 3-8 entering the holiday. In 2021, Matt Nagy’s final season, Thanksgiving week was fraught with rumors of a potential in-season firing.
The Black Friday game in Philadelphia kicks off the toughest stretch of the season, which means every moment before kickoff is a good time to be thankful for an 8-3 start, head coach Ben Johnson’s early impact, quarterback Caleb Williams’ progress and relevant games in the winter.
Now, on to your questions.
Note: Submitted questions may have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Tremaine Edmunds seemed like one of the Bears with a solid case for postseason recognition before his stint on injured reserve. Now, which Bears players, if any, should be in All-Pro team conversations? — Eric T.
All-Pro teams are the toughest to make. The 12-4 Bears in 2018 got three All-Pro players. This team likely has two: guard Joe Thuney and safety Kevin Byard. It has a few Pro Bowl options, too. Let’s break it down.
Edmunds had been playing at an extremely high level. He’s tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Devin Lloyd for most interceptions for a linebacker this season (four) and leads his position in passes defensed (nine). Missing at least a month probably takes him out of consideration.
Cornerback Nahshon Wright and Byard will earn attention for their takeaways. They’re tied for the league lead in interceptions, and that will carry weight for voters, especially Byard, who has some name recognition. He’s been a first-team All-Pro twice in his career.
What a snag by @colstonlovelan1 😮💨
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/cykM6UbWoN
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 9, 2025
Defensive end Montez Sweat could get a Pro Bowl berth if he maintains his torrent pace. He’s tied for sixth in the NFC in sacks. But he has to stay hot.
On offense, Thuney will probably be in play for another All-Pro and Pro Bowl. He has the name ID, he hasn’t allowed a sack (per Pro Football Focus), and the Bears offense is one of the best in the league. He would be the team’s first All-Pro offensive lineman since Olin Kreutz in 2006. I could see center Drew Dalman getting some Pro Bowl love.
Right tackle Darnell Wright deserves a postseason accolade. He has allowed only one sack, per PFF, and has had some highlight-reel blocks this season. At a minimum, he should be on a Pro Bowl track as long as he stays healthy and the offense doesn’t stall over the next few weeks.
Tight end Colston Loveland isn’t getting a postseason honor this year, but over the past four weeks, he’s third in the league among tight ends in receiving yards. Let’s see how he ends the year.
How good has Wright actually been? I feel like he gets a penalty and gives up a big play every game, yet I also think he’s been very good. What’s the truth, Mr. Two Things Can Be True At Once? — Andy S.
It’s the life of a corner, right? You’re going to give up some big plays and make some, too, especially someone like Wright, who had only three starts coming into this season and is naturally going to get targeted often, especially with Tyrique Stevenson on the other side.
Per Pro Football Reference, Wright has been targeted a team-high 67 times and has allowed 39 catches for 491 yards and five touchdowns. He also has five picks, 10 passes defensed and only two pass interference penalties. He does, however, have five other flags.
Johnson was also sure to highlight how Wright has been effective as a run defender earlier this week. He has been credited with three run stuffs (a stop for no gain), which is tied for second among corners, and three tackles for loss.
That was nasty, @nahwrig 🤯
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/czclXbpp9O
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) November 23, 2025
He has been way better than anyone expected, but he is going to give up big plays here and there. We’ll see how the Bears handle the cornerback spot when Jaylon Johnson returns, but the coaches definitely have expressed wanting to find ways to keep him on the field.
Where do the Bears currently rank for personnel packages on offense? I’m especially curious how much they’ve been in 12 personnel or even had an extra lineman compared to the rest of the league. — Michael S.
The Bears have been in 12 personnel, with two tight ends on the field, for 30.3 percent of plays, which ranks eighth in the league. Since 2013, when TruMedia started charting offensive personnel percentages, that is by far the highest for the Bears, 7 percent more than the previous most frequent 12-personnel team (2020, with Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet, at 23.5 percent).
We’ve seen 37 plays this season when the Bears have a sixth offensive lineman on the field. It has usually been Ozzy Trapilo, though it was Theo Benedet in Week 1, so if the Bears swap left tackles, Benedet would slide back into that role. Luke Newman took it on against the Pittsburgh Steelers. That ranks 12th in the league. Since Week 8, however, the Bears have run 32 plays with an extra offensive lineman, which is the sixth most in the NFL. Williams is 7-of-9 passing on plays with six linemen.
Another wrinkle this research uncovered: The Bears have been in a no-running-back formation, or 01 personnel with four receivers and one tight end, on only 2.5 percent of snaps, but that’s the highest in the league. Usually when they do this, DJ Moore or Kmet is lined up in the backfield.
Bears-Eagles fun facts
• The Bears lead the all-time series 30-17-1, including a 1-3 postseason record against the Philadelphia Eagles.
• After beating the New Orleans Saints earlier this season, this is now the Bears’ longest losing streak to an opponent. They’ve lost six in a row to the Eagles.
• Chicago’s last win over Philadelphia came Nov. 7, 2011. Matt Forte ran for 133 yards, and Jay Cutler threw two touchdowns at Lincoln Financial Field on “Monday Night Football.”
• The Eagles are the only NFC team the Bears have yet to beat in the post-Lovie Smith era.
• This will be the fourth-ever Bears game on a Friday. They lost to the Los Angeles Rams in 1966, beat the Cleveland Rams in 1939 and beat the Cleveland Indians in 1931.
• Shoutout to mailbag reader Eli K. for this one: The Bears have lost three in a row to defending Super Bowl winners. Their last win over the reigning champs came in 2013 over the Baltimore Ravens.
• In Jalen Hurts’ lone start against the Bears, he threw for 315 yards and two picks in a 25-20 Eagles win in 2022 at Soldier Field.
• As 7-plus-point road underdogs since 2016, the Bears are 2-23 and 9-16 against the spread. They did win their most recent game as a touchdown underdog away from Chicago when they beat the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 season finale.
Game picks: Bears (+7) at Eagles, 2 p.m. CT on Amazon Prime and Fox 32
Kevin Fishbain: Eagles 25, Bears 16
(8-3 straight up, 5-6 against the spread)
This isn’t a great matchup for the Bears … if the Eagles play like the Eagles can play. They don’t turn it over, and they have a running back who is capable of breaking any carry for a touchdown. The vibes couldn’t be more different for two 8-3 teams, and the Bears are the ones without the pressure. They’re playing with house money. But this could play out like the game in Baltimore did, when the defense couldn’t get a takeaway and eventually wore down while the offense sputtered in the red zone.
Dan Wiederer: Eagles 26, Bears 20
(7-4, 6-5)
The Super Bowl champion Eagles are not invincible. Very far from it, as evidenced by Sunday’s collapse in Dallas. The Bears should walk into Lincoln Financial Field with full belief they can pull off the upset. Still, the Vic Fangio versus Williams portion of this battle is worrisome, particularly in a short week. The Eagles under Fangio are fantastic at disguising coverages and do a nice job keeping the top on the defense. Williams’ patience and preparation will be tested. Additionally, Philly has taken care of the football better than every other team in the league, with only six turnovers through 11 games. The Eagles are also rock solid inside the red zone on both sides of the ball, ranking first on offense and fourth on defense.
Dan Pompei: Eagles 26, Bears 22
(8-3, 8-3)
The Eagles represent a major step up in class for the Bears. And though considerable confidence has been earned by the Bears, it may be shaken against a team with as much talent as any. The Eagles offense could find answers that have been elusive against a banged-up Bears defense, and the Fangio Philly “D” will be a handful for Williams.
Jon Greenberg: Eagles 23, Bears 13
(7-4, 5-6)
The Bears have used “not apologizing for wins” as the awkward foundation of their postgame media interactions. At 8-3, no one is asking them not to be proud of their accomplishments. It’s been an entertaining and unexpected season, but we all know the team’s success is built on turnover differential. The Bears lead the league at plus-16 (24 takeaways, eight giveaways). Unfortunately, this week, they’re playing the league leader in not turning the ball over. Fangio will limit the big plays from Williams and company, and the Eagles will cover the spread.
Zach Berman (Eagles beat writer): Eagles 30, Bears 20
As 7-point home favorites coming off a second-half collapse against Dallas, the Eagles have a chance to make a statement against the upstart Bears in a solo-time-slot game. If there’s a day for Saquon Barkley to break out of his self-described “funk,” it’s against a Bears run defense ranked No. 27 in DVOA and undermanned at linebacker. My guess is the Eagles rebound on offense and avoid turnovers against an opportunistic Bears defense. Fangio’s defense will be tested, but this one could look like the Bears-Ravens game from last month.
Brooks Kubena (Eagles beat writer): Eagles 20, Bears 16
I still need to see the Eagles wake up offensively against a good team before I will predict them to do so. But I still think their defense wins them this game. The Bears have been playing well offensively lately, but expecting the Eagles to once again crumble defensively would be an overreaction. The Cowboys cracked through because George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb made excellent catches on deep balls. Rome Odunze and Moore are not as threatening, even against an Eagles secondary that is now missing starting rookie safety Drew Mukuba. Williams ranks 24th among quarterbacks in EPA per dropback against a four-man rush or fewer. The Eagles don’t blitz often with their reinforced defensive front. I don’t think they’ll have to.
