Bear Digest

NFL Coach of the Year: Ben Johnson trending up for 2025 award

Make no mistake, Ben Johnson is the difference between this years Bears sitting at 7-3 and last years Bears finishing 5-12.
Jerry Markarian|
Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on from the sideline during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on from the sideline during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Would you believe me if I told you the Bears would be alone on top of the NFC North with a 7-3 record two months ago? They had just fallen to 0-2 with both losses coming against their division rivals, including one in blowout fashion. I don't think you'd believe me.

I also don't think you'd believe me if I told you that three months ago, or five months ago, or one year ago. Not with them playing in a division as talented as the NFC North, which set an NFL record for winning percentage last season. It included three playoff teams, and the Bears being locked in the cellar with a 5-12 record.

How about now? Are the Bears doing Bears things now?

Chicago has gone 7-1 since the 52-21 debacle in Detroit. They followed up that game with their most convincing win of the season, coming away with a 31-14 win against a talented Dallas team. They immediately answered the bite to the knee, and they did so with an exclamation point.

Do you think Matt Eberflus' Bears would've survived a devastating loss like the one the Bears suffered in Detroit? Absolutely not. They showed it time and time again. Do you think they'd survive the injuries the team has experienced on the defensive side of the ball? I don't. This team has thrived through the attrition, and they're finally getting healthy.

Ben Johnson already has half as many wins in 10 games as Eberflus had through his three excruciating seasons in Chicago. His fingerprints are all over Chicago's 7-3 start. He deserves the most credit for their success, and it's not a particularly close race.

Winning in the NFL isn't always pretty, but it is always hard to do. This Bears team has finally learned how to win. They haven't really played a complete game through all four quarters, but they have found new ways to win, with each phase contributing big plays when the team needs them. Special teams came up clutch against the Raiders, Commanders, and Vikings. The defense carried the team to a win against the Saints. The offense did the same against the Cowboys, Bengals, and Giants.

This season certainly hasn't been for the faint of heart. They've needed five game-winning drives to come away with some of these wins. The cardiac Bears consistently get it done, though, and they're in a good spot to make the playoffs as a result.

The detractors point to Chicago's (admittedly light) schedule as to why they're winning games. To those, I say to look at the other teams around the NFL. This has been a weird season. The 9-2 Patriots are tied for the best record in the NFL. They lost to the 2-7 Raiders back in Week One, though. The 7-3 Bills have a 17-point loss to the Dolphins sandwiched between two convincing wins against the Chiefs and Buccaneers (who would both be in the playoffs if the season ended today). The Eagles lost against the Giants. The Packers lost to the Browns.

The Bears haven't fallen victim to a "Wow, this team might be a pretender!" game yet. Did they choke away a game to JJ McCarthy in his first career start in the season opener? Sure, but that team didn't know how to win yet. They were a team coming off a 5-12 season, facing a team that went 14-3. Did they lose to a backup QB in Tyler Huntley against Baltimore? Yes, but look what they've done since getting smacked in the face against Houston in Week 5. Their defense (which won the Ravens that game) hasn't allowed an opposing offense to score 20 points in the past five games.

The Ben Johnson effect is real. He's injected a winning culture into the locker room, and the players have clearly bought into it. The fact that they have yet to put together a full 60-minute game is an indication of how good this team can be if they clean up the mistakes. There's reason to believe they can beat any team in the league if they do that.

The Coach of the Year race is far from decided. Mike Vrabel's Patriots currently have the league's best record at 9-2. He's unanimously considered the front-runner for the award. Shane Steichen is nipping at his heels with an 8-2 record in Indianapolis. Both of those teams beat the Bears last year (although the Patriots had a slightly worse record at 4-13).

Vrabel and Johnson both inherited messy situations and have completely turned around their respective franchises. While Vrabel has received due respect for his work in New England, it seems like Johnson's COTY candidacy has flown well under the radar.

He's a more-than-deserving candidate for the award, and I'd argue that he's the best candidate with the way in which the Bears have pulled out these wins. You could argue that they'd only have one or two wins without a coach of his caliber calling the shots (imagine the Bengals thriller with Matt Eberflus on the sideline).

He's already got my vote. If they keep finding a way to win these close games, he just might win the popular vote, too.

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Jerry Markarian
JERRY MARKARIAN

Jerry Markarian has been an avid Chicago Bears fan since 2010 and has been writing about the team since 2022. He has survived the 2010 NFC Championship Game, a career-ending injury to his favorite player (Johnny Knox), the Bears' 2013 season finale, a Double Doink, Mitchell Trubisky, Justin Fields, and Weeks 8-17 of the 2024 NFL season. Nevertheless, he still Bears Down!

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