The Chicago Bears entered the 2025 offseason with one overriding objective: give quarterback Caleb Williams stability, in every way imaginable (coaching, offensive line, etc.), so his talent can shine through. It's safe to say no stones were left unturned to get that done, starting with the hiring of Ben Johnson as head coach.
The Bears have "won the offseason" before, of course, then failed when it came time to put what looks good on paper into practice on the field. Somehow this time feels different though. Johnson is clearly setting a new standard his recent predecessors either weren't equipped to set, or failed to get done.
In a different sense, getting it right this time around with offseason moves is huge for Bears general manager Ryan Poles. Johnson is the second head coach he has hired, and a GM will not usually get a chance to hire a third head coach if losing ways continue (the Bears are 15-36 over Poles' three seasons as general manager).
As Johnson came up for head coaching jobs it was easy to think he'd also somewhat hand-pick his general manager. With that in mind, a disappointing 2025 season for the Bears could lead to Poles being gone and Johnson being able to choose a GM who's fully aligned with his vision.
Bears' front office gets praise for offseason work from ESPN reporters
ESPN has done a roundtable of questions with its NFC North beat reporters on a variety of topics. On the topic of "which front office won the offseason?", three of the four said the Bears.
Bears' beat writer Courtney Cronin highlighted the overhaul of the offensive line and the necessary culture reset Johnson is lined up to bring.
"Chicago flipped its biggest weakness -- the offensive line -- into a strength by acquiring center Drew Dalman and guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson via trades."
"But the Bears' front office won the offseason when it landed the most sought-after coach this cycle in Johnson. The key to everything working in Chicago is rooted in a complete overhaul of philosophy and culture, which starts at the top."
"The change was reflected by sparing no cost ($13 million per year) to land the coach it believes will finally make this team a contender. But Chicago has won the offseason before -- now it needs to carry that over."
Packers beat writer Rob Demovsky started with Cronin's last point in his analysis, then praised the hiring of Johnson.
"It has to be the Bears, but then again, it feels like they've won offseasons before and it hasn't meant much."
"But not only did the Bears land the hottest coaching candidate on the market, they did so while weakening a division rival by stripping the Lions of their hot-shot offensive coordinator."
Lions beat writer Eric Woodyard hit similar notes regarding the hiring of Johnson, and the overall effort to surround Williams with better talent and structure.
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"Chicago has added one of the league's most creative minds in Johnson. He knows his stuff, and players will respect that right away. Johnson should be able to get the best out of Williams, as he did to help fuel the resurgence of Goff's career."
"Chicago also surrounded Williams with talent across the board, which should help them take a massive leap in 2025."
Any offseason overhaul has to start at the top. In the Bears' case this offseason, it means the hiring of the right head coach with the ultimate proof coming in the pudding of more wins this fall. But if the Bears simply don't look overwhelmed when things get tough during games, that will be an unignorable testament to Johnson regardless of wins and losses.