Ben Johnson made it clear he came here to win. Was he just naive to think it would be that easy? That seems unlikely. Johnson isn’t stupid. There is a strong likelihood he knew the challenge he faced when taking the Chicago Bears job. This team has endured almost nothing but losing for over a decade now. One doesn’t just fix that over the course of one offseason. There are deep-rooted issues with this organization. Many blame the leadership, or lack thereof, of GM Ryan Poles. Still, much of this comes back to the players.
Something is rotten in that locker room. Coaching alone doesn’t explain a team that always seems to wilt when the games get tough. The Bears were competitive in the first half for the second straight week, only to let minor setbacks spiral out of control. In this case, it went from a 21-14 deficit to 52-21. Johnson warned several players about their lack of effort, insinuating there could be changes to the starting lineup sooner rather than later. Tyler Dunne of Go Long reported after the game that people inside the NFL believe the head coach may have significant changes in mind in the near future.
This was a nightmare homecoming for Ben Johnson. But if there’s one silver lining, it’s that this head coach doesn’t owe a thing to anyone. Not the QB. Not anyone on defense. Not Poles. The gut feeling here is that the $13 million-dollar man has the power inside Halas Hall to fix this mess as he sees fit. Forget 40 times and measurables. The soul of this Bears team needs to completely change.
At least Johnson saw firsthand how it’s done.
The only problem is that he’ll need to toss that mop and invest in a wrecking ball.
"We're going to find out … who wants to practice hard, and who wants to be a little bit more involved with the game plan here going into Sunday."
Ben Johnson didn't mince words 😳
(via @ChicagoBears) pic.twitter.com/nD9CQCzxZA
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) September 15, 2025
Ben Johnson has the power needed to do this.
Many believe a key part of the Bears reeling him in as head coach was promising significant personnel authority. That means he can make sweeping changes if he wants. People will ask why he didn’t do this when he arrived. The answer is simple. He didn’t know what he had yet. Ben Johnson needed to spend time with the players already on the team, evaluating them on and off the field. It wasn’t until he saw them in action that he could get a proper gauge on whether they have the necessary traits he’s looking for. Multiple sources indicate he’s already getting a sense of who the weak links are.
If he is planning to take a flamethrower to this roster, we may see things start happening next month. The NFL trade deadline is at the end of October. If the losing continues, the Bears may start unloading some of their veteran pieces to free up future cap space and collect extra draft capital. It would be a good way of getting younger guys more opportunities and setting the tone for what’s next.
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