People At The Senior Bowl Are Raving About Ben Johnson And The Bears

The Bears’ inspiring 2025-26 season has put them back on the map as one of the NFL’s best teams.

Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson shakes hands with defensive end Kobie Turner (91) during warmups before an NFC Divisional Round game against the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Who would’ve thought that a season ending in a Divisional Round loss would have everyone feeling so good about the Chicago Bears?

Then again, simply reducing Chicago’s first season under head coach Ben Johnson to how their last game ended—or even playoff win against the Green Bay Packers—doesn’t do this squad justice. These Bears transformed their entire reputation over the course of this season, from NFC North cellar-dwellers to the kings of the division. From little brothers to late-game bullies. From bumbling foolishness to mental toughness.

Now, they’re looking to go further this upcoming season, starting with scouting players at the Shrine and Senior Bowls. And if you’ve been keeping tabs on general manager Ryan Poles, who know exactly what he’s looking at improving in 2026.

Turns out, they’re not the only ones with their eyes on the Bears down at the Senior Bowl, according to Chicago Tribune insider Brad Biggs.

.@BradBiggs is hearing so much respect for Ben Johnson's Bears at the Senior Bowl down in Mobile, Alabama.

"I had people going out of their way, when we were in passing to say, 'unbelievable what they did this season.'" pic.twitter.com/MB03tXJvNv

— 670 The Score (@thescorechicago) January 29, 2026

“There’s a ton of respect for Ben Johnson around the league,” Biggs said from on the ground in Mobile. “I had people going out of their way when we were in passing to say, ‘Unbelievable what they did this season. How different was that? Look at the difference a coach can make.’ That was kind of the overriding theme—‘This is what it’s supposed to look like.’

“… The faith that people around the league and respect that people around the league have in Ben Johnson makes the people I’ve encountered feel like the Bears are headed in the right direction, and they’re gaining momentum no matter how you feel specifically about the prospects for 2026.”

This improvement in league-wide preception might seem like a minor thing in the grand scheme of things, but it’s not. Here’s why.

It’s not just opposing general managers and executives at places like the Senior Bowl. There are coaches, agents, scouts, financial advisors, consultants, and—let’s not forget—players. As in, players who might be looking for next teams. (I saw this in action at the 2022 NFL Combine with a then-Bears coach attempting to connect with an outgoing Bears receiver he used to coach, to attempt to keep him in town.)

The Bears will have some wheeling and dealing to do this offseason to free up salary cap space. But once they do, there will be room to bring in some highly impactful new talent for 2026. 

With Johnson setting a player-friendly, energetic, and winning culture in Chicago—reminiscent of what the Detroit Lions established in 2022 and beyond when he was the offensive coordinator—the Bears just became a much more desirable place to play. On top of that, as other teams look to poach Bears coaching talent, their enhanced reputation will attract new coaching talent to replenish those ranks on the staff.

Bottom line: good vibes don’t win games by themselves. But it might be able to bring in the people who can help the Bears win that extra game or two they’ll need to find themselves in the Super Bowl next season.

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