Playoff heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
Think of David Tyree on the 2007 New York Giants, Nick Foles on the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles or Malcolm Butler on the 2014 New England Patriots. None of those players was a starter when those Super Bowl seasons began.
If the Chicago Bears are going to make a postseason run, beginning with Saturday’s wild-card matchup against the Green Bay Packers, they likely will need some big plays from unexpected people.
Luckily enough for the Bears, they already have had plenty of unsung heroes step up over the course of the regular season. This team came out of nowhere to go 11-6 and win the NFC North. It’s hard to do that without key contributions from all corners of the 53-man roster.
Quarterback Caleb Williams will, of course, take center stage, as will many of this team’s stars, including DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Montez Sweat and Kevin Byard. But the Bears are going to need contributions from some role players if they’re going to make noise in the playoffs.
Below are six players who could become unsung heroes if the Bears make a run.
Jahdae Walker, wide receiver
Bears wide receiver Jahdae Walker catches a touchdown pass against the Packers in the fourth quarter Dec. 20, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
An undrafted rookie out of Texas A&M, Walker already has had his moment on the big stage. He caught the game-tying touchdown pass in the dramatic comeback victory against the Packers on Dec. 20. If fans didn’t know his name before that game, they certainly did after.
Walker caught another touchdown in a Week 18 comeback effort against the Detroit Lions. He has caught only six passes this season, but all of them have come over the last three games. He’s finding his stride at the right time.
With Odunze potentially returning, Walker might not see a ton of playing time, but Williams has shown he’s not afraid to look Walker’s way in big moments.
Nahshon Wright, cornerback
Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright (26) runs to the bench after his interception against the Vikings on Nov. 16, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Wright was not supposed to be a starter. When the Bears signed him as a free agent in April, the move registered as a footnote.
But a rash of cornerback injuries quickly moved Wright’s name up the depth chart. When Pro Bowl corner Jaylon Johnson missed much of the season, it was Wright who stepped into a starting role.
He produced too. Wright has five interceptions and two forced fumbles this season, including a momentum-turning fumble on the “Tush Push” play against the Eagles. He was NFC Defensive Player of the Month in November.
With an unconventionally long and lanky body type for his position, opponents look at Wright and see a corner they think they can attack. He has made them pay for it often. Wright solidified himself as a starter long ago, but that has only become more clear with Johnson’s recent return and the Bears seemingly benching Tyrique Stevenson.
It would be a fitting ending to what has been an emotional season for Wright if he were to make a big play in a playoff game.
Cairo Santos, kicker
The Bears’ Cairo Santos kicks a 41-yard field goal against the Packers on Dec. 7, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Maybe this is cheating, but the kicker has to be on this list.
The last time the Bears played a home playoff game at Soldier Field, the kicker was in the headlines for the wrong reason. But the kicker just as easily could be the hero.
If winds are swirling throughout Soldier Field, Santos has more experience than anybody kicking in adverse conditions along the lakefront. A member of the team since 2020, he’s among the longest-tenured Bears players and he has lived the ups and downs of the last five years alongside fans. Some of those fans might give Santos a hard time when he misses. But among kickers with at least 100 field-goal attempts, Santos is the most accurate field-goal kicker in franchise history at 88.3% — more accurate than even Robbie Gould.
Santos made a game-winner this season in Minnesota as time expired. He’s 7-for-7 on field-goal tries in the postseason, including his time with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kyle Monangai, running back
Bears running back Kyle Monangai (25) is stopped by Packers safety Xavier McKinney on Dec. 7, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Monangai was the 22nd running back selected in the 2025 NFL draft. Yet he finished fifth among rookies in rushing yards with 783, behind only Ashton Jeanty, TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins and Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
Monangai came on strong in the middle of the season, but he went somewhat quiet down the stretch — culminating in just six carries for 14 yards in Week 18 against the Lions. If the Bears are going to make a run, they need their two-pronged rushing attack of Monangai and D’Andre Swift at full force.
Twice this season Monangai topped 100 rushing yards, including a career-high 176 against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. The Bears don’t need him to be the primary workhorse, but they do need him to be an effective second option.
Austin Booker, defensive end
Bears defensive end Austin Booker sacks 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy at Levi’s Stadium on Dec. 28, 2025, in Santa Clara, Calif. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Much like Wright, Booker is a defender Bears fans will know if they’ve been paying attention. The Bears need someone to step up on the defensive line, and if anyone other than Sweat is going to make a clutch sack or a game-changing strip, it just might be Booker.
The 2024 fifth-round draft pick played sparingly as a rookie, then missed the first half of this season with a knee injury. Since returning for a Nov. 2 matchup in Cincinnati, Booker has 4½ sacks, including 3½ in December. That doesn’t include one against the Packers that was waved off for a roughing-the-passer penalty in the Dec. 20 game at Soldier Field.
Lately, Booker keeps finding his way to the quarterback. The Bears, who rank 27th in QB pressure rate, need more of that.
Josh Blackwell, special teams ace
Josh Blackwell (39) blocks a field-goal attempt from Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson to give the Bears a 25-24 win Sept. 28, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
This list wouldn’t feel complete without Blackwell’s name.
Blackwell embodies the notion that heroes come in all shapes and sizes. The 5-foot-11, 179-pound special teams ace won the Bears a game when he sped around the edge and blocked a last-second Las Vegas Raiders field-goal attempt in Week 4.
He’s listed as a cornerback, but with only three snaps on defense all season, special teams is where Blackwell makes his mark. Bears fans will remember the perfectly executed punt return fake-out that went for a 94-yard touchdown last season in the Week 18 win over the Packers. This season, teams have tried to kick away from primary kick return man Devin Duvernay. When they do, Blackwell winds up with the ball. He’s also a gunner on punt coverage, using his speed on the outside to get downfield in a hurry.
It would surprise nobody if Blackwell makes a key play with the ball in his hands, comes up with a huge tackle, forces a fumble or blocks another kick.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/09/chicago-bears-playoffs-unsung-heroes/
