Bear Digest

Ben Johnson was mic'd up in Bears' Week 7 win vs Saints and the video is perfect

Fans of the Chicago Bears already knew that head coach Ben Johnson was all business during games, and now there's video proof.
Pete Martuneac|
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has only been on the job for six regular season games, but he has already gained a certain reputation among the fanbase: a psychopath, and the fans mean that in the best possible way. It started during OTA's and training camp, amid reports that Johnson threw the first-team offense off the field in practice for a failed huddle break that broke his patience and tossed rookie Luther Burden from a drill for not lining up correctly.

As preseason and regular season games began, the fans finally got to see the tough, perfectionist side of their head coach as video clips of him standing on the sideline with a perpetual glare circulated online, and the fans loved it. No matter what the situation, preseason or regular season, winning or losing, Johnson's face is an inscrutable mask that gives the impression of a man who will not brook a single mistake from anyone, from the starting quarterback on down to the long snapper.

This is a welcome change for Bears fans and a breath of fresh air following a head coach who more often than not appeared puzzled or disinterested as the game wore on. Now, however, we have more than just video clips of Ben Johnson, we also have audio as the NFL apparently had Johnson mic'd up for the Bears' dominant Week 7 win over the Saints. Well, there's audio from the people around Johnson, at least.

As Bears fans probably expect, Johnson was all business on Sunday and it shows in the short video that the NFL's official X account posted on Tuesday afternoon. Check it out below.

Even as the Bears reel off big play after big play, Johnson's expression never changes, nor does he utter a single syllable as coaches and players around him celebrate. It's not until the game is over and he's in the locker room that he drops the mask and explodes with emotion. In other words, Johnson is exactly the kind of head coach that Bears fans have been waiting years for.

Of course, Johnson's stoic demeanor will wear thin if the Bears begin to lose in bunches, but I wouldn't count on that. The Bears have proven time and time again already this season that they are not your father's Bears, and I believe they will continue to defy the odds.

Ben Johnson
David Banks-Imagn Images

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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