Last year, there was a collective groan when the Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson as their new head coach. It meant one of the best offensive minds in the NFL was about to inherit one of its most talented young quarterbacks. Many saw Caleb Williams as a generational player with Hall of Fame-level ability. If he followed Johnson’s directions, the Bears would become a team nobody wants to play. By and large, that came true last season, as Chicago became one of the best 4th-quarter teams in recent memory.
However, other teams should actually feel grateful right now. Yes, giving Johnson a quarterback of that caliber was a major shift in the NFL landscape. What people haven’t grasped is that the true potential of this offense remains dormant. Not because of Williams’ limitations, mind you. It is more because the Bears haven’t yet found that true workhorse running back.
This organization has a storied history at the position, starting with Bronko Nagurski and continuing through eras featuring Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, Neal Anderson, and Matt Forte. It feels like once every 20 years, they hit on a bona fide star at the position. Now try imagining one of them playing in Johnson’s offense.
So, again, other teams should be counting their blessings right now.
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Ben Johnson is a nightmare without a star running back.
In his four years running an offense from 2022 to 2025, his offense ranked 11th, 5th, 6th, and 3rd in rushing. Each of those years had a different leader in rushing yards. It started with Jamaal Williams in 2022, then David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, and finally D’Andre Swift. Three of those names fit the category of good but not great. The only time Johnson got somebody close to the superstar level was Gibbs in 2024. He finished 5th in rushing that year despite having only the 11th-most carries.
Year Team Leading Rusher Carries Rushing Yards Touchdowns NFL Team Rushing Rank
2022 Detroit Lions Jamaal Williams 262 1,066 17 11th
2023 Detroit Lions David Montgomery 219 1,015 13 5th
2024 Detroit Lions Jahmyr Gibbs 243 1,412 13 6th
2025 Chicago Bears D’Andre Swift 223 1,087 9 3rd
You can understand why the Bears have been motivated to try getting Johnson a legitimate purebred for the backfield. As good as Swift was last season, he’s never been a true primary back. It hasn’t been for lack of trying. Chicago came up short on two premium talents last year. Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty went 6th overall, four spots ahead of the Bears at #10. Then TreVeyon Henderson, the Ohio State phenom, went one pick ahead of them in the 2nd round.
Ashton Jeanty's rookie year:
– 975 Rush Yds
– 346 Rec Yds
– 10 Total TD
– 190.1 FPTS
Where are you drafting him in 2026? 🤔pic.twitter.com/8wRX3gga44
— FantasyPros (@FantasyPros) April 6, 2026
The NFL must hope the near-misses continue.
This offense is dangerous enough with Swift and Kyle Monangai carrying the load. Imagine what happens next if the Bears, say, sign Jonathan Taylor. He is scheduled to be a free agent in 2027 and will only be 28 years old. The three-time Pro Bowler has been dominant in multiple offenses across his past six seasons. Adding him to the Ben Johnson system, widely considered one of the most unfair schemes in the league, would be cheating. Don’t think for a second the Bears aren’t already peeking ahead to that possibility. They’ll have more than enough wiggle room to find the cap space.
Rest assured, this is something Johnson has in the back of his mind. Sooner or later, he will take a swing to find that heavy hitter at running back. When that happens, the NFL will be in big trouble. This offense is hard enough to stop with mere mortals at the position. If you plug in a legitimate Pro Bowler or All-Pro? May the Lord have mercy on you all.
Just remember, the Bears are due. Their last true star was Fortre, who stuck around through the mid-2010s. It feels like the time is approaching for that old Chicago magic to grace the position again.