When Jared Goff came to the Lions from the Rams via trade, he joined a team with a history of losing.
His own statistics had been inconsistent with the Rams as he posted an 86.5 passer rating in 2019, the year after he quarterbacked the Rams to the Super Bowl, couldnt get back above 90.0 the following year.
The trade didn't seem to activate much, as his 2021 yards per pass attempt was 6.6, lowest since his rookie year.
Then Ben Johnson became offensive coordinator and a quarterback sitting on a mid-level plateau suddenly vaulted under Johnson. Goff's passer rating went from 91.5 in L.A. and his first year in Detroit to 102.7 in three Lions seasons under Johnson.
Sometimes new coaches bring out something else in players. They might recognize more in someone and push the right buttons, or their scheme better suits a player.
Something similar happened in Detroit for Kalif Raymond, who had been around in the NFL since 2016 but suddenly went from a career high of nine catches to 48 for the Lions.
In Detroit the year before and after Ben Johnson took over play calling Jared Goff improved:
QBR went from 45 to 64
Passer Rating went from 91 to 99
TD/INT 19-8 to TD/INT 29-7
Ben knows how to improve QB play. #Bears #DaBears #ChicagoBears
pic.twitter.com/iGkxoYAYbp
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) June 28, 2025
Jamaal Williams had plateaued as a back who split carries and neve r had more than 556 rushing yards until coming to Detroit. Johnson doubled his carries, made him the starter and he ran for an NFL high of 17 TDs with 1,066 yards in 2022.
Johnson will find many players on the Bears who had been underperforming or weren't even given much chance to show what they could do.
Here are potential Bears candidates for revival in the new regime. The list does not include quarterbacks who are in their second year named Caleb Williams. He hasn't been around long enough to fall into this category.
In 2009 he was a software developer in Durham, NC.
Now he's being paid $65M to develop Caleb Williams.
Here's the journey of Ben Johnson—head football coach of the Chicago Bears.
💧DRIP THREAD 🧵 pic.twitter.com/koCTs04Xk8
— Thad Wells (@ThadWells) June 29, 2025
Already he has been singled out by Johnson for his fundamentals in pass rush without pads on after a third season when he wound up sitting out as a game day inactive 11 times.
"I don't even know about last year, to be honest with you, in terms of what that looked like, but I can just tell you that he has popped out," Johnson said. He looks the part, for sure.
"As we know, O-line and D-line play, it's hard to really gauge too much, but he does have a quick first step off the ball, and he lined up on our left tackles quite a bit here over the last few weeks and you could tell that he got the edge on (the tackles) a few times."
Robinson would solve so much for the Bears if he proved a player who was better suited to Dennis Allen's scheme and stepped up to produce as third edge rusher.
S Elijah Hicks and DE Dominique Robinson are two of several current #Bears who have noticed a difference on the football field since starting Pilates. Hear from them & their instructor who has been working with players for over a decade tonight on Sports Xtra at 10:45pm! pic.twitter.com/K2lN0VKTs9
— Jori Parys (@JoriParys) June 29, 2025
The splash plays and the boneheaded plays and then the catastrophic play against the Commanders on the Hail Mary had Stevenson in a rut last year but all is forgiven in a new scheme where he can rely more on what he says is his strength. That's man-to-man pressure. Former Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller had a start to his career not totally unlike the start by Stevenson but Vic Fangio helped turn him around and he became an All-Pro. Could it happen for Stevenson with different coaches?
Bears teammates Tyler Scott and Grady Jarrett got married last weekend. pic.twitter.com/cVmL1JMNj6
— Max Markham (@MaxMarkhamNFL) June 17, 2025
Scott for two offseasons now seems to have a decent passing connection built with Caleb Williams. It never became apparent last year as he went from a 17-catch rookie year to one reception for 5 yards and six games when he didn't play. Perhaps working with Antwaan Randle El or in Ben Johnson's attack activates something in this fourth-rounder.
So Devin Duvernay is FAST fast
pic.twitter.com/XLjWQ557jO
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 11, 2020
They just acquired him but mainly as a return threat. A former two-time Pro Bowl player and All-Pro, he's too young to have fallen into the rut as a receiver that he did without major injury in Baltimore and Jacksonville, going from a higher catch total for each his second an third years to falling into disuse. Possibly Johnson could do something on offense with him to supplement the use they'll get as a return man. Speed is always welcome and he has it.
Three years after being drafted by the Bears and after actually being on the Cardinals 53-man roster briefly, Kramer got to play 84 snaps last year but was a guard and a blocking back. Obviously the Bears invested a lot in Drew Dalman at center and have two new former Pro Bowl guards but a team always needs depth. Kramer just need someone to give him a chance. Otherwise, this could be his last go-around for the former Illinois player.
Noah Sewell Preparing To Take Down Opposing QBs 🫡🐻⏬#Bears pic.twitter.com/TONTPFHeWW
— PAT THE DESIGNER (@PatTheDesigner) August 10, 2023
Right now he's slotted in as a strongside linebacker replacement for Jack Sanborn but he got on the field only 32 snaps in his first two years, and now he'll have competition from Ruben Hyppolite II among others. Will Allen's scheme bring out of him what Matt Eberflus' failed to do?
This would truly be a reclamation project after what happened to Pickens last year. He has gone from third-round pick in 2023 when he played in every game to getting into only nine games last year and becoming a game-day inactive by season's end. Pickens is in much the same category as Robinson but with two years left on his contract and with more job competition. They drafted Shemar Turner, signed Grady Jarrett and also have Gervon Dexter and Chris Williams ahead of him now. They might need an excavator to dig him up out of the depths he's fallen but someone saw talent there once.
Zacch Pickens with the sack 💪
pic.twitter.com/f1HJYyKenj
— Six Point Bears (@SixPointBears) August 10, 2024
A team seemingly in need of backfield help has a player they always claimed was an excellent pass blocker and receiver but never used for two seasons. They've used him for 419 special teams plays of all kinds in two years but only 81 plays on offense. Maybe Johnson squeezes some offense out of him after all.
If anyone has the potential to exceed past production it's a 6-foot-4, 220-pound receiver with 4.42-second speed and a 43.5-inch vertical leap who never had more than 19 catches. He's screaming out to have his career revived by a master at this.
I thought the Miles Boykin prophecy was going to be fulfilled at this moment pic.twitter.com/Ko0AN4PnLB
— RAMEY (@HoodieRamey) June 13, 2025
X: BearsOnSI