Rewinding to the start of the 2024 offseason, most onlookers around the league believed the Chicago Bears had made a grave mistake by retaining former head coach Matt Eberflus. Through his first two seasons, sustainable growth was a matter of debate. They crumbled in meaningful games and dominated weaker teams. In total, there wasn't a whole lot to "love" once you got past a very flaky surface.
Going back a few years earlier, it was easy to see the cracks in the surface during Eberflus's first press conference. Not only did he convey a timid presence, but his message also lacked authenticity. If anything, it felt scripted. During his opening presser, Bears fans were introduced to the H.I.T.S. philosophy. While some chose to look past the corniness of it, others questioned how any head coach at this level could command the respect of an NFL locker room with high school-like acronyms. In some ways, it was reminiscent of Tim Beckham's infamous "Oskee" speech at the Big 10 media day, which had everyone in full cringe mode.
As it turns out, Eberflus's ability to command a locker room only went so far. Looking beyond his inability to step up to the podium at a press conference and give a straight answer, it was also a reflection of his leadership troubles when things got tough.
Despite winning 10 games in two seasons, he consistently maintained a level of credibility in the locker room. That was until the "Fail Mary" in Washington that resulted in their 2024 season collapse. Following the game, the team's former head coach failed to take accountability for playing a soft defense in the final 30 seconds of the game, which ultimately allowed the Commanders to get into Hail Mary range. Despite a (4-2) start, their season fell apart that night, in large part due to a shaky foundation and a lack of respect for their coaching staff.
Eberflus became the first head coach in the franchise's 100-plus-year history to be fired in-season. To make matters worse, their rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams, was subjected to a pair of offensive play callers and three offensive coordinators in the span of 17 games. Following their disastrous (5-12) finish, the Bears knew they had to get the head coach hire right. After all, their inability to get coaching hires right goes back decades, outside of Lovie Smith. Lack of leadership from the headman is not a new concept. Neither is a defensive-minded head coach struggling to develop a young quarterback. Marc Trestman's inability to lead a locker room was well-documented. John Fox's inability to prioritize a rookie quarterback's development was ultimately the last straw in his three-year tenure with the team.
After all of their past failures in complete focus, it would have been easy to play it "safe". Although it's unfair to label them "cheap," Chicago has never been a destination known for paying top dollar to attract top head coaching candidates. That all changed this offseason.
As this year's hiring cycle ramped up, it became clear that Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson would be the top two names looking for jobs. Although there wasn't a Jim Harbaugh or Sean Payton in the year's group, Vrabel was a proven leader looking for a second act, and Johnson's long-awaited head coaching debut appeared ready to happen after sitting out the two previous cycles. For a second straight year, the New England Patriots struck quickly. Last year, they quickly moved on from Bill Belichick to promote Jerod Mayo. They followed a similar script in January when they were once again the first team to strike, moving quickly to bring Vrabel back "home" to New England.
Meanwhile, the Bears patiently played out the process. Turning over every stone, they virtually met with top candidates like Vrabel and Pete Carroll. It was a multi-pronged search with a big hiring committee. As we learned after the fact, Johnson was the leader in the clubhouse from the start. However, the organization, led by Team President Kevin Warren, wanted to honor the process by interviewing a total of 18 confirmed candidates. Half of those names felt more like a process of due diligence rather than serious candidates. Even so, names like Mike McCarthy, Johnson, Vrabel, and Carroll headlined the most extensive list in the league.
In the end, their initial feelings were confirmed: Johnson was their guy all along.
Ultimately, by honoring the process and staying patient, they were able to speak with a diverse set of candidates, ranging from seasoned veterans to notable figures like Eddie George, who was a young coach at a smaller college at the time. At that moment, it was easy for Bears fans' minds to wander to dark places. "Are they going to find a way to screw this up again?" In the end, their patience (and angst) was rewarded with the guy they wanted most from the start.
Making waves during the offseason is something that the Bears are used to doing. The running joke of "winning the offseason" can't officially die until Chicago delivers on their high expectations. Make no mistake, the league is better when the Bears are winning. That's exactly what this franchise was banking on when making Johnson the highest-paid hire of this hiring cycle.
The early returns have been promising with Ben Johnson
Despite a long-standing narrative that Johnson was an introvert who wouldn't lead by force, his message and demeanor have remained steadfast since his opening press conference. As it turns out, Johnson is an intense and vocal coach who demands perfection on every play. To support his words, he has hired a high-energy, yet demanding coaching staff. This group was carefully crafted and well thought out. While most first-time head coaches tend to bring in friends and those they are familiar with, Johnson focused on getting the right individuals for the job and leaned on his contacts around the league to make it happen.
Similar to Matt Nagy's defensive approach in 2018 with Vic Fangio, Johnson latched onto defensive coordinator Dennis Allen early in the process. The two-time former head coach has failed miserably at two different stops as the head man, but as a defensive mind, he's one of the best in the league.
Johnson's ability to surround himself with a blend of seasoned veterans and young up-and-comers is impressive, albeit all on paper. In terms of first-year candidates, the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator has been the belle of the ball for three straight hiring cycles. Despite upsetting the apple cart by taking himself out of the running in two straight offseasons, the process allowed him to prepare the best way he could as a first-timer. He watched his former head coach, Dan Campbell, build an All-Star coaching staff comprised of individuals from diverse backgrounds. Going through the interview process for three years also gave Johnson the ability to learn his must-haves and red flags. After all, this is the same coach who wasn't shy about his thoughts on the hiring process and the failure rate of each cycle.
In the end, Johnson chose the Bears just as much as the Bears chose him. This franchise is desperate for a winning culture, but first comes accountability. Some of that was evident early in the offseason process, when they aggressively rebuilt both sides of the trenches. Chicago completely remade the starting interior offensive line, while also adding multiple pieces to the defensive side of the ball in the process.
Early returns during the team's offseason program have also garnered rave reviews from both players and onlookers alike. Last year, players repeatedly voiced their need for accountability and to be coached hard. The front office delivered that in the form of Johnson and his coaching staff. Our very own Zack Pearson, among others, has consistently reported that practices have been loud and intense so far. Johnson has not been afraid to get after players, even going so far as to shut them down if someone is lined up incorrectly or they do not break the huddle properly.
As fans have learned from the past mistakes of previous regimes, details matter. That's been a noticeable talking point during the early portion of OTAs and mini-camp.
Obviously, most new head coaches get the benefit of a honeymoon phase, and Johnson will be no different. Even so, this is a restless fan base that is hungry for a true winner. Not just a team that can rattle off one winning season every decade, but a group that is capable of handling sustained success over a longer period of time. The optimism from any early returns during the easiest part of the season build-up should always be taken with a grain of salt. Despite that, there are plenty of reasons to feel like things are different this time around. Having a stud, offensive-minded head coach is one thing. Coupling that with a "leader of men" mentality and the best coaching staff this city has seen in decades only builds on the ever-growing hype surrounding them.
Despite their inconsistencies in general manager Ryan Poles' four-year tenure, the talent level on the roster has steadily increased. Even if they failed to deliver on high expectations from a year ago, marrying an improving roster with a good coaching staff should lead to considerably better results. Even for most Bears fans, Johnson's cut-throat mentality and refreshing openness with the media were not something that was originally expected when he was hired. Instead, fans simply hoped for a drastically improved offense and a coaching staff capable of extracting more from their players.
If all goes well, the Bears could go from one of the league's worst coaching staffs to a group that rivals their own division, which is stacked with immensely talented coaches scattered across the three other teams. Before Super Bowl aspirations can comfortably be discussed, meeting the NFC North's level of talent (both on the roster and overall coaching staff) is a must. If they have truly accomplished that level of improvement, the sky's the limit for a team with a young quarterback and a roster that is craving the proper development to take them to the next level.
Get excited, Bears fans. Even the most guarded optimism is warranted with an improved roster and a head coach that some believe could be the next Kyle Shanahan. Marrying Caleb Williams with one of the league's best offensive minds is gleeful enough, but if Allen's ability to take defenses to the next level can be realized, the Chicago Bears might just be the next team to go from bad to potential Super Bowl contender in a short period of time.