From the moment Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson stepped up to the podium at his introductory press conference, everyone knew he was going to have some things up his sleeve for the offense in 2025.
Johnson's persona in the NFL, since he was first the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions three years ago, has been characterized by his innovative play-calling. He turned the Detroit offense into a top-five unit in total yards and points from 2022 through 2024.
It's the main reason the Bears hired Johnson. They wanted a significant change in the offense. Chicago needs a coach who will get quarterback Caleb Williams to reach his full potential. Johnson is everything this team has needed over the last three years.
So what does the young ball coach have under his sleeves in 2025?
Johnson leaving bread crumbs of big things to come for Bears offense
The Athletic's Dan Wiederer wrote an article on Johnson and what he will bring to the table for the Bears' offense. Wiederer looked at everything from the beginning of his press conference up to now.
When Johnson was asked about what he has cooking up for the offense, Wiederer described Johnson as letting out a grin, which is a drastic difference from his more reserve demeanor. Johnson was short and sweet in his response.
“We’re still working through all that,” he says. “We’ll see what we can cook up.”
Later in the article, Johnson added the most important part to the offense.
“Offensive football,” Johnson says, “is about precision. I don’t think you can let things slide.”
Even his assistant coach and former NFL wide receiver Antwaan Randle El had a similar reserve answer when asked about what the offense has coming up in 2025.
“Of course,” Randle El says. “I mean that’s part of this, right?”
This is a Bears offense that desperately needed stronger coaching after last year's disaster. They finished the 2024 campaign dead last in total offense with 284 yards per game.
The focus on what to fix was simple. First, rebuild the offense line with three new interior starting linemen. Next, add young rookie offensive weapons to grow up in the offense with quarterback Caleb Williams. Last, work with Caleb Williams on his decision-making and leadership qualities.
Bears fans have gotten a chance to see the rough draft of that work during the preseason and training camp. While it isn't perfect, a lot more progress has been made than there was in 2024.
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Johnson is perfect for Chicago with his attention to detail and accountability within the organization. It's a fresh persepective from what fans have been used to. The Bears are in much better shape for the future with Johnson leading the way.