Chicago Bears · Franchise era 7 of 7
The quarterback search continues: the Chicago Bears story
The story in one sentence
The 2018 defense briefly restored contention, but Chicago has continued rebuilding its offense in pursuit of the long-awaited franchise quarterback.
Elite defensive peaks meet repeated offensive resets
Khalil Mack, Justin Fields and Caleb Williams gave the era its recognizable core.
Its final meaning is still being written.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2013
What came before
Lovie Smith restored the defense-first formula, and Hester's return brilliance helped the 2006 Bears reach Super Bowl XLI.
- 07TradeSeptember 1, 2018
September 1, 2018
The Khalil Mack deal that reset two defenses
The Bears believed an elite pass rusher could complete a young defense. The Raiders chose draft volume rather than meet Mack's contract demands.
To CHI20202NDround asset2020PICKround asset
To LV20191STround asset2019PICKround asset+2 assetsKhalil Mack to ChicagoCHI receives Khalil Mack, 2020 second · No. 43, 2020 conditional fifthLV receives 2019 first · No. 24, 2019 sixth · No. 196, 2020 first · No. 19 + 1 more7 original assets · 4 outcomes tracedOpen trade → 2019-01-06
Wild Card: Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears
2026-01-10
Wild Card: Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears
2026-01-18
Divisional Round: Los Angeles Rams vs Chicago Bears
Still unfolding
Where the story stands
This chapter remains active, so its final place in franchise history is still being written.
The core