Lance Briggs was one of the best linebackers in the NFL over the course of his career with the Chicago Bears.
The seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro selection spent his entire 12-year career with the Bears (2003-2014), helping lead Chicago to the Super Bowl during the 2006 season. On four different occasions, Briggs led a top four defensive unit, flanked alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher.
While Urlacher was obviously seen as the leader of the defense, Briggs was a model of consistency, racking up over 100 tackles in eight of his seasons. He actually led the Bears in approximate value on three different occasions.
Fast forward to the present day and the Bears finally have a contender again for the first time since Briggs played. Chicago won their first playoff game since the 2010 season under the leadership of Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson.
With expectations ramped up for the 2026 season, Briggs took the time to sit down for a one-on-one interview to give his expectations for the Bears and his overall thoughts on Caleb Williams.
Q: Thoughts on the Bears? What are your expectations for the team this year, where do you consider them to be in the hierarchy of the NFC?
Briggs: I think they're one of the strongest teams in the NFL. I think they're an offense that's going to be very formidable, very difficult to stop. The biggest question mark for the Bears is going to be: Can they stop the run? Can they do that consistently? Stop the run because if you're an opponent, the best thing you can do is keep that offense off the field, and you do that by being able to successfully run the ball.
Q: Obviously they had a heck of a run last year. They almost beat the Rams, so they proved that they can be competitive with the elite teams in the NFL. Now obviously, they added Myles Garrett this off season. They might add in Aaron Donald. Can the Bears beat the teams like the Rams and the Seahawks in the playoffs?
Briggs: Here's the thing: you'd like to to see the Bears have 13-14 wins where you get home field advantage, and you have a LA team come to Chicago deep in the playoffs when it's cold and should be a big advantage, but looking at it last year, that might not be the case. When it comes down to it defensively — I don't think offensively that's an issue, and we all know that. Defensively, we have to come up with consistent ways of number one, getting off the field on third down. Number two, we got to stop the run because if we can't, that's going to keep our offense off the field. Number three, get the ball back to our offense as many times as possible, and let them run away with it.
Q: Where would you consider them to be in the hierarchy? Would you consider maybe the Rams and Seahawks at the top of the heap, and then maybe the Bears right after?
Briggs: Yeah, I think they're probably top five.
Briggs' "top five" read lines up with where NFC futures markets currently have Chicago slotted behind the Rams and Seahawks. Punters looking to back the Bears at that number can compare markets through the Novig promo code, which is currently offering new users a sign-up bonus.
Q: Let's say they were to get the home field advantage this year against a team like the Rams and Seahawks. Do you think that's the difference maker in the playoffs against a team like that?
Briggs: Not based off of what I saw last year. Yeah, I don't think the Seahawks got an issue playing in the cold, and it's supposed to be an issue for the Rams. But you know they found a way to win it last year. Just at that point of the year in the playoffs, we should be playing at our best. The Bears should be playing at their very best, and if they're playing at their very very best, they're doing it consistently. Then wherever the venue is, it's not going to matter.
Q: I want to touch upon Caleb Williams because he's the big topic, right? Madden cover athlete, great season last year. Your overall thoughts on him as a quarterback, and where do you rank him? Maybe as far as the top quarterbacks in the NFL. Do you have a certain number, maybe top 10?
Briggs: Yeah, I think Caleb is in one of the greatest situations that you can be in. You're a talented quarterback that's surrounded by a ton of talent and one of the top talents in coaching in Ben Johnson. That's the recipe that you can only dream of. He's a player that's going to be here in Chicago a long time, and he has an opportunity to take this franchise to a level of success that hasn't been done in Chicago. He can cement his name as one of the most legendary names in Bears history.
That kind of praise from a former teammate carries weight, and it's fueling early MVP and Offensive Player of the Year markets on Williams heading into 2026. Those odds, along with Bears-specific win total contracts, can be traded on via our Polymarket promo code, ACTION.
Q: What did you see the difference with him in his second year compared to his first year. Obviously Ben Johnson was a huge difference maker. But what did you see on the field?
Briggs: Up front, it all starts up front. One of the issues that we've always had offensively is being able to protect. We haven't spent a lot of money on offensive line, and we've really invested in changing that, in protecting your signal caller, and in doing so, you get a lot more results.
We're able to run the ball extremely well. We did a great job doing that. That sets up the throw. We have playmakers in all different positions. We drafted a bunch of tight ends. These tight ends are very high end. They create a lot of mismatches. They're great blockers. You see the it-factor is there. The only way you stop this offense is by keeping them off the field.
Q: As far as quarterback comparison for Caleb Williams, who do you compare him to quarterback wise, past, present? Who do you think of?
Briggs: I think it has to be a mobile guy, like an Archie Manning type of guy.
Q: Can you see maybe an Aaron Rodgers comparison?
Briggs: No, no, I wouldn't say Aaron Rodgers. I would not say Aaron Rodgers, not right now. Although Aaron was faster than a lot of people thought or would imagine him being on the field. That's not the guy that I would compare him to.
Q: Okay, but you said Archie Manning, but not Aaron Rodgers.
Briggs: No, I think Aaron was a pure passer. It didn't matter where he scrambled left or scrambled right. His completion rate didn't decline at all. It was one of the craziest stats I'd ever seen in my life in preparing for him. A lot of times you get a quarterback to scramble both sides, typically one side, his completion rating on one side is not as great as the other. Aaron Rodgers was pretty much 100% no matter where he threw the ball from. Yeah, so it's a detail for us because we're trying to figure out how we want to blitz them, how we want to attack them, and it didn't matter.
Q: I'll wrap things up with this last question because I asked Brian this question: Who was the toughest quarterback you guys ever faced? He said Aaron Rodgers was the most difficult. Do you agree with that?
Briggs: Yes. Twice a year, pinpoint accuracy. He can fit it in any window and would challenge you. Audibles at the line of scrimmage. He knew how he wanted to attack.
Q: Do you think in some ways, as crazy as it sounds, Aaron's underrated because maybe fans don't understand just what he brings to the table on the field?
Briggs: I don't feel like he's underrated. I think if you played against him, especially if you were in the NFC North, you knew what you had to deal with. You were dealing with a lot, and the consistency of the Packers, not only getting to the playoffs, winning our division, being in contention, the proof was always in the booth.
