Chicago Bears fans have been ecstatic about this successful season, and local store owners say they've been noticed.
ABC7 has heard from people who say their apparel business is booming this season and they hope it continues into the playoffs.
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Chicago fans who bought or received some Bears gear over the holidays certainly aren't alone. Local stores are reporting a surge in sales of all things Monsters of the Midway.
At Wrigleyville Sports, located in the shadow of Friendly Confines, sales of Bears merchandise far outpace sales of Cubs merchandise.
Ben Newbern is heading to his first Bears game on Sunday and stopped by to buy something orange and navy blue.
“I finally saw a team in this town that was actually willing to put their lives on the line, and that really brought everyone together,” Newbern said.
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For Wrigleyville Sports, December was one of its strongest sales months ever. Among the top sellers were items bearing the slogan “Good, Better, Best,” the Bears' new mantra.
“It's been crazy, I mean the foot traffic here, everyone's excited,” said Carson Mellin of Wrigleyville Sports. “NFC North champions. It's amazing, incredible.”
And in the Clark Street Sports area, some of the newest Bears jerseys are selling out quickly.
“Kyle Monangai, he’s been our main player this year, him and Colston Loveland, both freshmen. People love newbies,” said Abby Bell of Clark Street Sports Wrigleyville. “You know, things are changing here in Chicago. So yeah, it's fun to watch.”
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The Bears' winning ways also help local sports bars. Even though Rizzo's in Wrigleyville is a Buffalo Bills bar, plenty of Bears fans went there.
“Obviously a lot of the places in Wrigley are a little more seasonal, but this time of year, especially after the holidays, it's really important for businesses like us,” said Rizzo's Bar & Inn owner Andrew Rizzo. “There is no greater excitement for sports than when the Bears are good. When the Bears are good, the city has a different feel and a different vibe.”
These companies are hoping for a deep playoff run, and if the Bears make it to the Super Bowl, demand for team products could reach record levels.
The Chicago Bears held their final practice Friday before their season finale against the Detroit Lions and the start of the NFL playoffs.
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Caleb Williams watches 4,000 yards passing as the Bears attempt to clinch second place in the NFC when they host the Lions
Although Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears were eliminated from contention for the No. 1 seed in the NFC last week, they still have plenty of chances on the line before the playoffs begin.
A major milestone for the quarterback and a stronger position for the team in the postseason is at stake.
Williams has a chance to become the first 4,000-yard passer in founding NFL franchise history, and the NFC North champion Bears can secure second place in the NFC when they close the regular season against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field on Sunday.
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“What was emphasized was winning,” linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said. “If this results in us getting 2nd place, then so be it. But the message will be aimed at winning. Obviously we understand what's behind it when we play in front of our fans. It's a huge change in the playoffs.”
The Bears (11-5) went from last in the division a year ago to winning the NFC North for the first time since 2018 in their first season under coach Ben Johnson. They are about to play their first postseason game in five years.
As impressive as that sounds, they still have some work to do before the playoffs begin.
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams passes the ball against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, California, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
They fell out of contention for first place last week with a narrow loss in San Francisco, but could cling to second place. A win over the Lions or a Philadelphia loss to Washington would do just that. Chicago will host Green Bay in a wild-card game and will have home-field advantage in the divisional round if it defeats the Packers.
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The Bears will get the third seed after a loss to the Lions and a win against Philadelphia. In this scenario, they will host the sixth seed next week and may have to travel to the divisional round if they advance.
Record, milestone in achievement
Williams will almost certainly set Chicago's single-season passing record. With 3,730 yards, he needs 109 to surpass Eric Kramer's 3,838 in 1995. The bigger question is whether he can also reach 4,000 yards. The Bears are the only team in the NFL without 4,000 passing yards.
The Bears have lost three straight and six of seven to Detroit, including a 52-21 upset at Ford Field in Week 2 that dropped them to 0-2. But now they are in a much better position.
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Lions of disappointment
Detroit (8-8) enters with three straight losses and no chance of making the playoffs after a 23-10 loss at Minnesota last week.
It's a big disappointment for a team that set a franchise record for wins last year while finishing first in the NFC with a 15-2 record. The Lions lost two coordinators this offseason, with Johnson taking over for the Bears and Aaron Glenn becoming head coach of the New York Jets.
They have struggled offensively and defensively as of late and are in danger of finishing last in the NFC North. They are tied with Minnesota, with the Vikings winning both games.
“We'd like to hang back at some point in the last eight games, get a few guys together and get out of this jam,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “But we couldn’t, and it sucks, and I wish there was a magic potion that would fix everything, but there isn’t.”
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A look at Goff
The Lions will need Goff to shake off his worst performance of the year and play more like he did against Chicago in Week 2 if they are going to end the season on a winning note.
The four-time Pro Bowler set season highs with two interceptions and three fumbles and matched one of those while being sacked five times last week. But he dominated the first meeting with the Bears. Goff threw for 334 yards and a career-best five touchdown passes, including three scores to Amon-Ra St. Brown. It's the lone division win for the Lions, who are 1-4 against the NFC North.
On line
Detroit has been plagued by numerous injuries, especially on the offensive line, which received two new guards after moving Graham Glasgow to center.
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Rookie Tate Ratledge took over at right guard, and injuries forced him to fill in at left guard. Meanwhile, Glasgow suffered a knee injury. He missed the game against Pittsburgh two weeks ago and was relegated to two special teams duties last week, with rookie Kingsley Eguacun making his second straight start at center. Left tackle Taylor Decker, who is considering retirement this offseason, is expected to start after missing last week's game with an illness.
Coach Dan Campbell wants the team to finish the season strong.
“We'll see if we can polish some things up, work together, work on our combinations – just a little bit,” he said.
Conclusion
The Bears are the best in the NFL at tackling the ball and holding onto it.
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Chicago leads the NFL in interceptions (22), takeaways (32) and turnover margin (plus-22). The Bears also committed a league-leading 10 turnovers. Williams has 23 games without an interception, something no other NFL starting quarterback has done in his first two seasons.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
