Bear Digest

The 2025 Chicago Bears preview: Ben Johnson's impossible mission

The Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams relationship takes center stage as the Bears make their attempt to bounce back from a season of disasters.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ben Johnson and special teams coordinator Richard Hightower on the sidelines in week 2 of preseason.
Ben Johnson and special teams coordinator Richard Hightower on the sidelines in week 2 of preseason. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

It's the time when talking and speculation give way to reality in the NFL.

Since the end of January the Bears have been dealing with the potential for coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams and a more aggressive style on defense.

The touch football practices of OTAs gave way to real contact and preseason and none of it revealed the true direction this first year under the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator will take.

Their competition in the division only looks more difficult, fortified even at the last minute with Green Bay's trade for Micah Parsons. The schedule already resembled something Ethan Hunt looks at before it disintegrates. However, they have no option but to accept this impossible mission.

At times last year, the Bears looked light years from being competitive in the NFC North. Then you looked at the Fail Mary play and the finishes at home with the Vikings, at Detroit, and at home with Green Bay—all while being coached by a staff committing repeated gaffes—and hope for a turnaround seems realistic. Competent sideline leadership, let alone exceptional, could do this.

There are numerous key factors for this first Ben Johnson season but the obvious is that quarterback-coach relationship with Williams.

Quarterbacks

Caleb Williams*. Backups: Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum.

The outlook: Johnson is impressed by how far Williams has advanced.

"He's got, a flare for the dramatic, he understands situations, he knows where he needs to break the pocket and extend and he's doing a great job right now understanding when to check the ball down and let our guys go run after the catch a little bit," Johnson said.

Yet, Williams makes mistakes before plays start, then doesn't see everything he should eventually see. It's expected from a second-year QB handled poorly as a rookie. Johnson said he couldn't see much beneficial for his QB from last year's experience, but there is some. He knows what NFL defenses look like and their play speed. The rest should come quickly as he advances into Year 2.

Both Justin Fields and Mitchell Trubisky advanced in their second years with new coaching.

The same could be anticipated, the added benefit Williams gets from working with one of the best coordinators in the last three years should make this development easier.

Running backs

D'Andre Swift*, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, Travis Homer (IR).

The outlook: It's not the key to success. Williams is. Rather, it can make his development into a threat much easier and let the offense flow faster. Running the ball for a 164-yard average in the first four games in Detroit let Johnson set the tone for an offense utilizing play-action. If they get Swift running early, it can simplify the whole offensive process.

Johnson knows Swift from Detroit and sees the potential, even if the one year they spent together in Johnson's attack saw Swift downgraded to third-down back.

"He's got that ability to be a spark force and I've known that for years about the guy," Johnson said. "Particularly when we're a little bit stale coming out of the gate, he wants to be that guy to get us back on track and I think that's what the good running backs do in this league. Their teammates will feed off of them."

Swift and Monangai need to provide the power running to wear down defenses. Perhaps one eventually replaces Swift as lead back just like Jamaal Williams did in Detroit.

Receivers

WR DJ Moore*, WR Rome Odunze*,TE Cole Kmet*, TE Colston Loveland, WR Olamide Zaccheaus, WR Luther Burden, WR Devin Duvernay, WR Jahdae Walker, TE Durham Smythe.

Outlook: The full group is superior to the full group Johnson had in Detroit at the outset. How Johnson uses Moore is a complete unknown. He's been in the backfield. He lines up in all the receiver positions, like most receivers. Johnson's offenses ranked among the league's best at yards after catch and Moore's strength is YAC. The balance of the attack could help others find their yardage and receptions, or it could wind up being a case where there aren't enough footballs to go around. The 12-personnel package, with two tight ends, will get used possibly 40% of the time and b a key to matching up against defenses.

"I think we have improvements to be made, but from where we started, obviously there’s been a lot of improvement," Odunze said of the passing game.

Offensive Line

T Braxton Jones*, LG Joe Thuney*, C Drew Dalman*, RG Jonah Jackson*, RT Darnell Wright*, T Theo Benedet, T Ozzy Trapilo, T/G Kiran Amegadjie, G/C Ryan Bates, G/C Luke Newman

The outlook: If the Bears could be certain about the playing strength of Jones after his ankle surgery last year, as well as his consistency, this would be their best offensive line since Super Bowl XLI. The line is only as good as its weakest link. The other four appear solid, with Thuney still so good he had defensive players who faced him in joint practices singing his praises.

GM Ryan Poles put the group together and saw success when others saw left tackle said.

"Even that K.C. game was pretty good, in terms of how they held up, the pocket was pretty strong," Poles said. "We've seen that in the run game, really throughout training camp. You can see hip-to-hip, four numbers getting movement, and that's going to be something we have to be good at to have success on offense this year."

It's the fifth guy they need to be concerned about.

Defensive Line

DE Montez Sweat*, DT Gervon Dexter*, DT Grady Jarrett*, DE Dayo Odeyingbo*, DT Andrew Billings, DT Shemar Turner, DT Chris Williams, DE Austin Booker (IR), DE Dominique Robinson, DE Daniel Hardy.

The outlook: It looks as if the group should be far more stout against the run than last year when Billings was injured, but it's the edge rush where there are concerns. Sweat needs to bounce back from an off-year. Jarrett and Dexter are the keys as the interior rush threats who are expected to collapse the pocket.

"Then, with Dennis (Allen, defensive coordinator), I'm sure there are things that we haven't even seen yet in terms of him helping, enhancing and creating confusion to get to the quarterback," Poles said.

There will be more blitzes in a scheme reliant upon pressure but ultimately they will need that interior pressure they claim is coming. Booker's knee injury threatens their ability to relieve the starters until after the fourth game.

Linebackers

The outlook: Middle Tremaine Edmunds*, weakside T.J. Edwards*, strongside Noah Sewell*, Amen Ogbongbemiga-IR, Ruben Hyppolite II, D'Marco Jackson.

More blitzing and man-to-man coverage on backs or tight ends promise to make this challenging for two veteran linebacker who have played it another way for a few years. Sewell's development can make their base defense more challenging and they might find ways to use Hyppolite as a blitzer to take advantage of his great speed.

Secondary

The outlook: CB Jaylon Johnson*, S Jaquan Brisker*, S Kevin Byard*, CB Kyler Gordon*, CB Tyrique Stevenson*, CB Nahshon Wright, CB Nick McCloud, CB Jaylon Jones, S Jonathan Owens, S Elijah Hicks.

At least at the outset, it's all on Jaylon Johnson's health for the opener. It will be difficult to match up against Minnesota's Justin Jefferson and now Adam Thielen without a healthy Johnson.

"We're hopeful that he continues to get better, but we also have to be smart to make sure that he's good long term, as well," Poles said.

A soft tissue injury like Johnson had can easily be aggravated if he's not ready to jump back into practice or games.

On Oct. 12 last year the Bears led the NFL in team passer rating against. The concussion to Jaquan Brisker caught up with them, as did the one later to Andrew Billings on the defensive line. It meant fewer predictable passing situations when they couldn't stop the run without Billings.

Everything won't simply revert to last year's level because it's a new scheme, with new coverage emphasis. It may time for the Bears to adjust. However, Stevenson, Johnson and Gordon have been capable of playing man-to-man coverage all along. The Bears actually had the best passer rating in the league in man-to-man coverage last year according to ESPN analytics. And they played it sparingly.

Special Teams

Cairo Santos, P Tory Taylor, LS Scott Daly.

The outlook: Most teams would be fortunate to have the Bears' kicker and punter. Santos' leg strength might not be in the 60 range but he was deadly accurate from 50-plus last year. Taylor was a Bears record setter who looks to improve his distance and hang time even more.

The questions will be about their coverage and returners. Duvernay was one of the NFL's best returners but that was three years ago with different kick return rules. Coverage teams will be loaded with younger players who may need time to fit into their roles.

Coaching

The experience factor is lacking for Johnson as a head coach but the assistants possess it. Johnson has worked well with Poles to put this roster together.

"Rosters change year in and year out," Johnson said. "I think Ryan's done a good job over the course of his tenure here of accumulating talent. Now it's our job as coaches to find some results with it.”

The Schedule

The Bears offensive line better be ready because the schedule includes Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa, Trey Hndrickson and both Aidan Hutchinson and Micah Parsons twice. The defense is facing Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Dak Prescott, Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, Brock Purdy and Aaron Rodgers, and will face Jared Goff and Jordan Love twice.

They have 10 games with 2024 playoff oppponents and are in a division with three double-digit winners from last year.

It's going to be a grind even if they're greatly improved.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.