The Chicago Bears had a magical season in 2025, pulling off several comeback wins to finish the regular season with an 11-6 record. The team ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, despite having chances to win, but the franchise appears to be on the right track. Of course, the ultimate goal is winning the Super Bowl.

One Bears legend who helped the team reach the Super Bowl game is Brian Urlacher, and the former linebacker was dialed in on Chicago this past season. Urlacher recently sat down with FanSided for an exclusive interview on behalf of HeartFlow, and he was asked where he’d like the Bears to improve next season to reach the next level. In true linebacker fashion, Urlacher focused on the defensive side of the ball, saying Chicago needs to improve as a unit.

Brian Urlacher believes defensive improvement will take Bears to the next level

The Hall of Fame linebacker acknowledged how good Chicago was at taking the ball away last season, but made it clear that a defense can’t solely rely on forcing turnovers. That’s why he believes the Bears need to invest resources in becoming a better defensive unit across the board this offseason.

“They got a bunch of takeaways but I feel like you can’t always count on takeaways. So if they can get better on defense — with free agency you never know what’s going to happen — but get pressure on the quarterback and take the ball away and keep them out of the end zone.”

Brian Urlacher (FanSided)

Everyone can agree with this take from the linebacker who led some really good Bears defenses during his time. This past season, Chicago recorded a league-high 33 takeaways, which covered up some of the defense’s issues. The Bears allowed 361.8 yards per game, which ranked 29th in the NFL, and 24.4 points per game, ranking them 23rd in the league.

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That’s part of the reason why Chicago had so many comebacks and late-game theatrics. Unfortunately, that’s not really a sustainable method for success. If the Bears are going to be playing in the last game of the season, they have to elevate the defensive unit this offseason.