After he was a candidate for the their head coaching job a few years ago, and rejected them, the Washington Commanders made sure they gave Ben Johnson what seemed like an unflattering label as part of their criticism of his head coaching acumen.
"He is considered a coach who prefers holing up in his office, coming up with game plans and playing with mad scientist vibes rather than leading a locker room."
Now entering his second season as the Chicago Bears' head coach, Johnson has proven to be far more than the "mad scientist" the Commanders tried to make him out to be. After he rejected them, they had no choice but to hire Dan Quinn as their head coach.
Being mad about that outcome is understandable, but it doesn't make it ok to slander Johnson the way they did. The Commanders essentially showed why he was right not to choose them, as he had some of his own concerns during the interview process.
Ben Johnson revealed his absolutely unsurprising pre-training camp agenda
When Johnson spoke to reporters on Thursday, the final day of mandatory minicamp before everyone parts ways until training camp, he was asked how he would decribe the upcoming six-week break for himself.
"I've always found the summer to be one of the better times in terms of getting ahead for the season", Johnson said. "We haven't done a whole lot exotic this offseason. It's been, as I've talked about, the fundamentals, technique. We're running fairly standard formations and plays at this point."
"This offseason I'll be able to deep dive into some areas of interest for myself."
Johnson elaborated on that, saying he's looking forward to reviewing what running backs coach Eric Studesville has to offer, drawing on his vast experience, with a focus on "unique things, particularly in the run game" the Miami Dolphins did during Studesville's years there.
Johnson did say he'll get away from football "for a minute", as he should before the long grind of a season. But he'll, unsurprisingly, be "in the lab" quite a bit during the time between now and training camp, trying to expand his knowledge base and add unique elements to the foundation of the Bears' offense.
Read more: Bears insider offers timeline for a Darnell Wright contract extension
The Commanders tried to lament any "mad scientist" vibe Johnson has, in their attempt to slander him. But the Bears have embraced that about him, and the team will be better for it as he continues to evolve as both a head coach and an offensive mind.
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