Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson caused quite a stir before their first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, with more lofty goals ahead for them.
The Athletic's Dan Pompei wrote an article on his time following Johnson around that shared an interesting note. Johnson claimed he wanted to have the highest-scoring offense in NFL history and dethrone the 2013 Denver Broncos with 37.9 points per game.
Those are some big goals, but Johnson has always had big goals for his team. He did the same thing with Bears quarterback Caleb Williams last year, going for the 70% completion percentage mark. So, the question here is whether Johnson is shooting for the stars again or whether this offense can realistically get to that record mark.
Ben Johnson should expect this kind of performance from Bears' offense in 2026
Before diving into what should be the realistic mark for the offense, Bears fans must first look at what this team did last year:
Bears Statistical Category | Numbers | 2025 NFL Ranking |
|---|---|---|
Total Offense | 369.2 yards per game | 6th |
Passing | 225.1 yards per game | 10th |
Rushing | 144.5 yards per game | 3rd |
Scoring | 25.9 points per game | 9th |
Right off the bat, getting over 12 more points per game is going to be a tall task for the Bears' offense. It would require a lot to happen in 2026.
It all starts with Williams and his progression. He has to be more accurate with the football than his 58% completion percentage last year, and he has to work on doing the small things right. Bears fans also want him to use his legs more than he has, as he is faster than people give him credit for.
The good news is that Williams is now in his second year in Johnson's offense, so having more control and familiarity with the system should help him a lot. Johnson attributed Williams' accuracy issues to throwing a lot at him with the playbook, so that excuse should be out the door in 2026.
Also, Williams needs to throw for over 4,000 yards and finally give the franchise their first 4,000-yard passer. More yards in the air should result in more points.
At wide receiver, the group needs to drop fewer passes in 2026 and catch them at a higher rate. Bears wide receiver coach Antwaan Randle El counted 43 drops the unit should have had last year, so that will play a big role in getting the offense rolling.
The running game needs to remain relatively the same. Swift and Monangai need to maintain 4.5 yards per carry or higher this season to have success on the ground.
Chicago should take a major stride forward with the offense since Rome Odunze is healthier, Luther Burden III can finally be that deep-threat receiver, and Colston Loveland is among the top 10 tight ends in the NFL. Williams is showing to be pacing to be a future NFL MVP. The Bears' offensive line is among the best despite some changes, which in turn helps the running game.
Read more: 5 Bears who could come out as biggest winners from Browns preseason game
Will the Bears get to 37.9 points per game? Probably not, but hitting that 30-point-per-game mark should be what they are truly striving for. This is a young unit, so give them another year, and Johnson might be onto something with the NFL record being theirs.
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