Colin Cowherd Finally Admits Ben Johnson's presence is Fixing Bears' Broken Culture

Chicago Bears fans haven't always appreciated what NFL analyst Colin Cowherd has to say, and it's no mystery why not. He has been historically negative in how he talks about the Bears as a franchise, but last offseason, he was especially brutal when it came to their quarterback. Cowherd went so far as to describe Caleb Williams as a 'disastrous first date' and pushed the now-debunked narrative that Caleb Williams can't play in structure.

However, Cowherd has since come around on the Bears after an electric 2025 season. He even ranked the Bears as his No. 4 team in his 2026 NFL rankings back in February. Now, he's back with another bold stance about the Bears, this time zeroing in on head coach Ben Johnson.

In the Thursday segment of his FS1 show, The Herd, Cowherd referenced a recent ranking of NFL head coaches that saw Ben Johnson at No. 13 after just one season. What he believes is the reason Johnson has been so successful so quickly may surprise you, and it boils down to just one word: presence.

Cowherd pulled up the head coach ranking from NBC Sports, a ranking that I still found to be majorly disrespectful of Ben Johnson, to show the top 14 coaches, and said, "When I look at that list, you want to know what the common thread is? Presence... It's not just schemes. All those guys have a presence."

An NFL head coach has to be a strong leader

I find myself disagreeing with Cowherd on several topics, but he's right on the money when it comes to what makes great head coaches so great. Being a good playcaller or a likeable guy are good things to have as a head coach, but you also have to be able to lead these men. Even more than just leading them, you have to make them want to follow you.

Many fans and analysts wondered if Ben Johnson would have that leadership quality as a head coach. As the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, there was an image of Johnson as kind of a nerdy, X's-and-O's kind of guy who would not be able to command respect. We have the perfect example of that in Mike McDaniel, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins. He's a brilliant play designer, but he just couldn't lead Miami's locker room.

Johnson, on the other hand, has already proven to be an alpha. He demands excellence from himself, and so he demands excellence from his players, and they are fully bought in. His famous 'good, better, best' chant, the time he ripped off his shirt in the locker room to get Bears fans free hot dogs for a day, those weren't gimmicks. They were shows of genuine leadership.

The Bottom Line

Even before the Bears finally found success in 2025, there was no denying that Ben Johnson had the presence and the gravitas necessary to be a head coach. The moment he walked into Halas Hall for the first time, one could see how he immediately took command of the room. Then, in training camp, we saw him throw the Bears' starting offense out of a drill for not being up to his standard. We saw him verbally berate the No. 39 overall pick, Luther Burden III, for lining up in the wrong spot, but never a whisper of players grumbling.

Why not? Because Johnson has the presence that makes his coaching style work. Some Bears fans already consider him an offensive version of Bill Belichick in terms of style, and they're hoping that that comparison will hold true in terms of accomplishment, too.

An NFL head coach has to be a strong leader

The Bottom Line

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