The Chicago Bears' 2025 season has come to an end, but it wasn't for lack of trying. The Bears were down by seven points with under a minute to go and managed to force overtime, thanks to a wild Caleb Williams touchdown that you'd have to see to believe.
Unfortunately, when push came to shove, it wasn't the Bears' year. But that doesn't take away from the fact that it was still a magical year for the Bears, who weren't predicted to be the threat they ended up being.
Ben Johnson, in his first year on the job in Chicago, proved that he was worth the hype all along. He helped get this team its first division title since 2018, and they won their first playoff game since January 2011. Not to mention, they came oh so close to reaching the NFC Championship Game for the first time since early 2011.
Johnson knows what he has in his team, and he couldn't help but hide how proud he was of his group following the game.
"They all believed, man. They all believed all year long that we could find a way to win each and every week. So, it’s disappointing like that. But I am proud of the group. It’s a special group. I believe that to my core."
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It was cool to see this team blossom into what it did and to see the team buy into what they were doing. The Bears went from losing two games to start the year and looking like they'd continue to disappoint to coming as close as a team could to reaching the NFC title game. That's a heck of a coaching job by Johnson, and it should really excite Bears fans moving forward.
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No, the team didn't get it done this year, but no one expected them to. With Johnson at the helm and Williams quarterbacking the offense, it truly feels like the Bears could become a team grouped in as a Super Bowl contender starting in 2026. That's a fun feeling for Bears fans.