I have been a Bears fan since 1987. I had moved from Japan to Southern California with my family and was introduced to the NFL. I did not know anything about the NFL at the time, but since I was originally born and raised in Chicago, I started rooting for Chicago sports teams. And naturally, the Chicago Bears became my team.
In my 38 years of fandom, I have seen more lows than highs, just like everyone else. Having spent the majority of my life overseas, studying and working, I never had a chance to follow the Bears like those in the stateside and see the games in real time. I could not share the joy, and mostly the misery, with anybody.
I was able to get a job transfer to the stateside in October 2014, but the Bears remained a struggling franchise. Except for the 2018 and 2020 playoff appearances, the Bears remained a struggling franchise with no direction and still without a franchise quarterback.
I was in attendance when the Bears lost to the New England Patriots 19-3 last November. It was my first-ever Bears game. The game itself was as miserable as the weather that day, being cold and windy. The Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron the next day, and Eberflus was fired after the infamous Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions. That was probably the lowest point of my Bears fandom.
After last season, I was ready to give up on the Bears because they were beyond incompetent, and it looked beyond hopeless that they would ever both the head coach and quarterback right. But the hiring of Ben Johnson completely changed everything.
The 2025 Chicago Bears brought joy back to the fan base
After a 0-2 start, it seemed like even Johnson could not fix a losing culture in one season. But as the season progressed, the Bears started winning games. They won a total of seven games in which they trailed in the final two minutes of regulation. Johnson deserves to be the NFL coach of the year, except that both Mike Vrabel and Liam Coen had equally impressive seasons.
The Bears desperately needed a man like Johnson at a time when the Bears were a laughing stock around the league after the Eberflus debacle. He never wavered in his commitment and held himself accountable, whereas Eberflus never took accountability seriously and showed no leadership skills during his tenure.
So while the loss to the Los Angeles Rams stings, the Bears have finally found their quarterback in Caleb Williams and a no-nonsense head coach in Ben Johnson, who will push the right buttons to help him become among the best quarterbacks in the game. I feel confident that next season will not be a repeat of 2019.
Last October, I was laid off from my job. If you have ever been laid off, it hits you hard and leaves you feeling hopeless. I am still unemployed and currently work part-time jobs to keep myself active. Watching the 2025 Chicago Bears made me forget about the difficulties in my personal life. I feel rejuvenated to be a Bears fan again.
Read more: Ben Johnson has some soul-searching to do after Bears' heartbreaking playoff loss
If you are in the same predicament as I am, please hang in there. Hope the 2025 Bears gave you hope and optimism. There will be better days ahead.