The media in Chicago had one last chance to talk to Bears head coach Ben Johnson before the team took their 7-3 record into the Week 12 showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. One question threw everyone off, as it was a more lighthearted moment than what fans are used to.
A reporter at Johnson's press conference asked him whether he used to play the Madden video game when he was younger and whether he was more of a passer or a runner. Not sure if this would be truly showing his age, but Johnson shared his experience with the game.
"Occasionally," Johnson said. "I always liked taking the bad teams and doing Franchise mode and try to build them up from there. More of a thrower."
Did Johnson's time playing Madden help him build the 2025 Bears?
Some will find this silly as just a lighthearted moment in a press conference, which it definitely was, but fans should consider that maybe this did help him out. Johnson's time with building bad teams up might have been what Chicago needed all along.
The Bears were 5-12 last year and just a total mess. Johnson was brought in to help turn the franchise around, and so far, he has succeeded.
Chicago has started the season 7-3 and is in first place in the NFC North. After losing the first two games, they have won seven of the last eight.
A lot of the Bears' success is based on the new arrivals the team brought in. During free agency, they traded for Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney while signing Drew Dalman to help the offensive line. In the draft, they added tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III, who have become impact players in the last month.
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Who knew that a video game might have inspired Johnson to have the right plan for building a team? It's certainly worked out well for Chicago so far in 2025.