Jerry MarkarianSep 4, 2026
Bold 2026 Bears predictions: Caleb Williams throws for 4,500 yards and 35 TDs and enters the MVP conversation; Colston Loveland posts 1,200 receiving yards and 10 TDs while leading the team in receiving; Kyler Gordon grabs four interceptions; the Bears average about 30 points per game and score 500 points; Gallimore and van den Berg combine for 10 sacks; Austin Booker leads the team with 10-12 sacks.
Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original
What Jerry Markarian said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromHe'll firmly place himself in the MVP conversation with a 4,500-yard, 35-TD campaign.
- Where it was published
- Sports Illustrated
- The piece
- 6 Bold Predictions For the Chicago Bears 2026 NFL Season
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Colston Loveland to record 10 receiving tds“He'll reach the 1,200-yard mark and haul in ten touchdowns.”
- 2Colston Loveland to record 1,200 receiving yards“He'll reach the 1,200-yard mark and haul in ten touchdowns.”
- 3Caleb Williams to record 35 passing tds“He'll firmly place himself in the MVP conversation with a 4,500-yard, 35-TD campaign.”
- 4Austin Booker to record 10–12 sacks“I could see him finishing the season with 10-12 sacks and actually leading the team.”
- 5Caleb Williams to record 4,500 passing yards“he'll shatter the 4,000-yard mark as long as he stays healthy. He'll firmly place himself in the MVP conversation with a 4,500-yard, 35-TD campaign.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colston Loveland to record 10 receiving tds1 | Player Season Numbers | — | — | — | — | |
| Colston Loveland to record 1,200 receiving yards2 | Player Season Numbers | — | — | — | — | |
| Caleb Williams to record 35 passing tds3 | Player Season Numbers | — | — | — | — | |
| Austin Booker to record 10–12 sacks4 | Player Season Numbers | — | — | — | — | |
| Caleb Williams to record 4,500 passing yards5 | Player Season Numbers | — | — | — | — | |
| 5 calls · 5 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
5 checkable claims — 5 player season numbers — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 3 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the rest of the room on every one.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Where this call stands in the room
Caleb Williams · 2026 season · passing yards5 calls from 5 pundits between 4,000 passing yards and 4,500 passing yards. Jerry Markarian said 4,500 passing yards. the room's median is 4,000 passing yards. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Their call against the record
receiving tdsTheir call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
1Player Season NumbersColston LovelandChicago Bears
Colston Loveland to record 10 receiving tds
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Player Season NumbersColston LovelandChicago Bears
Colston Loveland to record 1,200 receiving yards
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Player Season NumbersCaleb WilliamsChicago Bears
Caleb Williams to record 35 passing tds
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Player Season NumbersAustin BookerChicago Bears
Austin Booker to record 10–12 sacks
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Player Season NumbersCaleb WilliamsChicago Bears
Caleb Williams to record 4,500 passing yards
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
John Middlekauff · Draft Bust Calls · Caleb Williams · Miss 0
Middlekauff expects either Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson to win this year's MVP, calling them the two best players in the league. They are pessimistic on the Bears, forecasting six or seven wins and saying they'd bet Caleb Williams doesn't work out as a franchise quarterback. They also see Oklahoma's John Mattier as a first-round pick who'll be in the Heisman mix.Bryan DeArdo · Score Predictions · Chicago Bears · Hit 98
DeArdo picks the Bears to beat the Buccaneers on Sunday night in a defensive game, predicting a 20-16 final score.Danny Parkins · Game Outcome Picks · Chicago Bears · Hit 100
Parkins named the seven AFC teams they believe are already set as the playoff field, expects Chicago, Buffalo and Kansas City to win this week, took Green Bay over New England and Atlanta over Cincinnati outright, and kept Bills–Bears as their Super Bowl matchup with the Giants still winning the NFC East.“Stanford Steve” Coughlin · Game Outcome Picks · Chicago Bears · Hit 100
Stanford Steve said the Bears would beat the Buccaneers on Sunday night, and called a player they referred to as "Yakis" their Rookie of the Year.Chris Simms · Score Predictions · Chicago Bears · Hit 98
Simms gave a predicted final score for every Week 9 game, picking the Bengals, Chiefs, Broncos, Lions, Giants, Rams, Cowboys, Saints, 49ers, Patriots, Seahawks, Texans, Bears and Bills, and also said they wouldn't be shocked to see Jacksonville reach the AFC Championship Game.
More player season numbers
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Andrew Erickson · Player Season Numbers · James Cook · Close 67
Erickson is targeting Chase Brown, Javonte Williams, Trey Benson, Ray Davis, MarShawn Lloyd, Will Shipley, Braelon Allen and Rishard Smith while fading Tyrone Tracy, Tank Bigsby and Kyren Williams, and they expect James Cook's touchdown total to settle in the eight-to-ten range.Ross Jackson · Player Season Numbers · Tyler Shough · Miss 4
Jackson projects a big sophomore jump for Saints QB Tyler Shuck, laying out a Drake May-style stat line (17 starts, 72% completions, ~4,601 passing yards, 24 TDs, 9 INTs) or a Bo Nix-style consistency line (over 4,000 yards, over 20 TDs, ~10 INTs), and says either path means a playoff season for New Orleans in 2026.Chris Broussard · Player Season Numbers · Myles Garrett · Hit 92
Broussard expects Lamar Jackson to play well but not vintage — two touchdown passes and no picks — while Derrick Henry carries the load with over 100 rushing yards. They also take the Browns to upset the Bengals and believes Myles Garrett gets at least two sacks to break the single-season record.Nick Wright · Player Season Numbers · Myles Garrett · Hit 100
Wright picks the Steelers to beat the Ravens outright in Pittsburgh, takes Seattle over San Francisco, and thinks the Browns lose to Cincinnati even as Myles Garrett gets the sack record.Nick Wright · Player Season Numbers · Myles Garrett · Hit 84
Nick Wright says Myles Garrett is playing at an all-time level and might reach 25 sacks this season, and among their weekly picks they expect the Bears to beat the Steelers in an ugly low-margin home win and Seattle to win comfortably at Tennessee.Rich Eisen · Player Season Numbers · Micah Parsons · Close 56
Eisen made a series of picks: Micah Parsons will out-sack any two Cowboys combined (after initially leaning the other way), the NFC North is more likely to produce a Super Bowl team than the NFC East, Eagles wins will outnumber Cowboys losses, Bo Nix/Courtland Sutton will out-touchdown Cam Ward/Calvin Ridley, and Marvin Harrison Jr./James Conner will beat Kamara/Olave in yards and TDs. They also picked the AFC West order and said Deion Sanders is more likely than Bill Belichick to have a winning record.