Going into training camp last year, there were so many questions about the kind of team the Chicago Bears would be with new head coach Ben Johnson taking over.
The first few weeks of training camp were a mixed bag, with stories of Johnson being tough on players and the team struggling to put everything together. Former Bears safety Kevin Byard spoke with NFL insider Jordan Schultz as the 2025 All-Pro shared more about how training camp was under Johnson.
"Out of my 10 years of being in the NFL, the hardest training camp I've ever had. And I wasn't expecting that from him. Because when you think about offensive guy, everything is kind of smooth. I don't want guys to get hurt. He was like riling guys up. This is like a black and blue division. This is the NFC North."
Tough training camp by Ben Johnson paid off for Bears
This is a Bears team that hadn't had a winning record since 2018, so Johnson knew he had to make some significant changes. That's what led to the tough training camp, with players going to Byard to talk to Johnson about it. Looking back at it, Byard is more appreciative of those times at camp.
'I think when you look back at it, it was so worth it. Because I think how the season kind of went. You know, how good we were in the run game, especially on offense. I just think how it was on defense. I think we needed that tough training camp."
Chicago finished 11-6 and won the NFC North. They also had a top-10 rushing attack on offense after finishing dead last in 2024. The Bears won a playoff game and completely changed the franchise's outlook after some really tough years.
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Looking ahead, they have their franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams and the right head coach in place. Things have never looked better in Chicago, and that's because of what Johnson did for the team in just one year.