Ben Johnson's Explanation for Controversial 4th-Down Decision Doesn't Pass Muster

For as much talk as there's been this offseason about Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams needing to hit the layups, it's a lesson that should also be preached to head coach Ben Johnson. During the Bears' heartbreaking Divisional round loss to the Rams last year, he twice attempted a fourth down conversion well within Cairo Santos' field goal range, and both attempts failed.

I criticized Johnson then for being overly aggressive, suggesting that he find a happy medium between aggressive and reckless, yet he does not seem inclined to do so. In Chicago's 2026 season opener against the Carolina Panthers, Johnson attempted to convert a fourth-and-one attempt from his own 21-yard line, and it failed. The Panthers took over from there and promptly scored a touchdown to tie the game at 21 points apiece.

After the game, Johnson was asked about his thought process in that situation, whether his stated goal of breaking the 2013 Broncos' NFL scoring record played into that at all, and if he was trying to set the tone for the season. Johnson's response didn't pass muster at all.

"That will always be the goal. We want to be the highest scoring [offense], we want to have the most wins, we want to win Super Bowls." Johnson said in an answer that wasn't really an answer. "That's what we do. We didn't get into this profession trying to be mediocre or average. And that's every NFL team. That is what it is. We make decisions over the course of a week, what's best for our football team to win a game. That's the most important thing, and that goes into everything that we do."

When pressed on the fact that this attempt was the deepest in his own side of the field that he's ever tried, Johnson replied with a dismissive, "I felt pretty good about it."

Ben Johnson must find a way to calibrate his aggression to a tolerable level

That may be the closest to 'coach-speak' that Johnson has ever come. The fact is that going for it on fourth down just one yard shy of your own red zone is never advisable, especially not in the second quarter of a one-score game in which your defense has already proven unreliable. Johnson's response to the question itself never really addressed the situation, and his tone of voice suggested annoyance at even being asked about it.

Yes, every team in the NFL wants to be the best of all time. Every team is trying to win every game and win Super Bowls, and part of that means taking risks. But Johnson has shown by now, even after just 18 regular season games as head coach, that his acceptable risk level may in fact be much too high.

The Bears were fortunate that their offense went nuclear in the second half and secured a dominant Week 1 win. Had they dropped this game to Carolina, Johnson's controversial fourth-down decision would likely have been the biggest talking point all week.

The Bottom Line

The Bears are blessed beyond measure to have Ben Johnson as their head coach, let's get that straight. Their cup runneth over. But Johnson is not perfect. He's still young, and he still has room to grow into his role. I think the most obvious area in which he might benefit from some honest self-scouting would be when a fourth-down attempt is simply too risky.

Johnson made up for his mistake with an offense that posted a franchise-record 59 points in their season opener, and that can't be ignored. He's already shown growth as a head coach. In fact, this offseason Johnson took aim at a problem area from 2025, a slow start to the season, and his team has clearly improved in that regard.

However, the Panthers aren't exactly Super Bowl contenders. They're an improved team, but still far from a great team. And a great team like the Seattle Seahawks or the Denver Broncos wouldn't let Johnson get away with a gamble like that.

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