{"id":473295,"date":"2026-02-17T06:12:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T06:12:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/473295\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T06:12:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T06:12:08","slug":"why-the-nfl-was-quietly-pulling-for-chicago-bears-to-reach-super-bowl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/473295\/","title":{"rendered":"Why The NFL Was Quietly Pulling For Chicago Bears To Reach Super Bowl"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was hard not to feel like the air went out of the NFL playoffs after the Chicago Bears<\/a> were eliminated. Over the previous three months, the team had become must-watch television because nobody was entirely sure what would happen. They\u2019d become the comeback kids, somehow pulling off wild rallies every week. Both of their playoff games featured insane twists and turns. After falling in overtime to the Los Angeles Rams, the buzz around the postseason seemed to fade. None of the four remaining teams seemed to capture the national imagination.<\/p>\n

That may sound like another Bears fan inflating the importance of his team, but not this time. Paul Pabst, who co-hosts The Dan Patrick Show, was down in San Francisco during Super Bowl week and spoke to people from the league office. He told 104.3 The Score that there was an undercurrent of disappointment that the Bears couldn\u2019t reach the big game. They felt the team\u2019s character, thrilling style of play, and polarizing names in Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson would\u2019ve made the game the hottest ticket in years.<\/p>\n

.@PaulPabst<\/a> heard plenty about the Bears while in San Francisco for the Super Bowl.<\/p>\n

One of the themes he heard privately from a few NFL employees was the league “would love” to have the Bears in the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com\/9wcdMtwpRF<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) February 16, 2026<\/a> The Chicago Bears are a great story.<\/p>\n

Sports fans love great stories. Here\u2019s an organization that had been the laughing stock of the NFL for most of the past decade. They experienced the most agonizing playoff defeat in recent history with the Double Doink, fell apart, and endured a tumultuous three-year run under Matt Eberflus, during which they set the franchise records for first and second-longest losing streaks. Then, out of nowhere, here comes a brash, fire-breathing head coach with a computer for a brain that instantly transforms their offense while also not being afraid to openly trash his rivals. Meanwhile, their quarterback builds an almost mythical status as the \u201cIceman\u201d for his late-game heroics.<\/p>\n

The Chicago Bears had become box office. Never mind the fact that they play in the third-largest media market in the country. Of course, the NFL wanted them in the Super Bowl. It would\u2019ve been such an easy sell. The Bears are in their first Super Bowl in 19 years. Johnson gets there in his first season. Caleb Williams vs. Drake Maye. The stories would\u2019ve written themselves, and the ratings probably would\u2019ve been insane. Sadly, the world doesn\u2019t work that way.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd25 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel<\/a> to hear Chicago legends tell stories you\u2019ve never seen in headlines \u2014 real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.<\/p>\n

The Bears can\u2019t rely on luck next season.<\/p>\n

Anybody with common sense knows a team won\u2019t get so many fortunate bounces two years in a row. That is why this upcoming offseason is so important. They must fortify key positions that held them back at times last season. It sounds like a significant overhaul is coming on defense. There is a real chance that half of the starting lineup will be different this fall. Defensive line will likely be the top priority as Dennis Allen goes hunting for more pass rush help.<\/p>\n

The only objective offensively for the Chicago Bears is figuring out the left tackle spot. Ozzy Trapilo won\u2019t return until after the regular season begins. Do they keep Braxton Jones as a bridge option or go hunting for a veteran elsewhere? If the team finds solid answers to all of these questions, the NFL may get its wish to see them in the big dance. No doubt Bears fans are eager for it, still haunted by that loss 20 years ago in Super Bowl XLI.<\/p>\n