The Chicago Bears landed one of the most coveted head coach options in Ben Johnson. Now, the Bears just have to prove that they can succeed on the gridiron.
Improving their offense will be crucial if Chicago wants to get back into playoff contention. Luckily, that is Johnson’s specialty. As the Bears configure their roster to Johnson’s liking, their growth on offense was named one of the NFL’s top offseason storylines, via Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus.
“The Bears hired arguably the most coveted assistant coach in the NFL in former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson,” Buday wrote. “They will pair him with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, quarterback Caleb Williams.”
“Johnson’s offense in Detroit was built around a strong offensive line – arguably the best – but Chicago’s 2024 offensive line performed below average and Williams’ pocket awareness did not help the situation,” Buday continued. “It will be interesting to monitor the immediate changes Johnson makes to the offense to continue Williams’ development.”
Ben Johnson’s work with Detroit Lions
Johnson helped the Lions rank second in total offense, averaging 409.5 yards per game. Quarterback Jared Goff finished second in the league with 4,629 passing yards. In turn, Caleb Williams ranked 17th in passing yards with 3,541. The Bears as a whole ranked dead last in total offense, averaging 284.6 yards per game.
Alongside their work in the pass game, Johnson got the most out of Detroit’s two-headed running back monster. With David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs at his disposal, the Lions ranked sixth in rushing offense, averaging 146.4 yards per game. Gibbs had 16 rushing touchdowns while Montgomery had 12. No one on the Bears had more than six rushing touchdowns in 2024.
Rome, nor the Chicago Bears offense, was built in a day. Ben Johnson will certainly have his work cut out for him. How he decides to craft the roster and how the offense eventually ends up looking will captivate all NFL fans throughout the offseason.
What Chicago Bears need to fix on offense
Williams passing total wasn’t necessarily bad. He threw for more yards than Justin Fields did in all three years at the helm. Furthermore, Williams threw for 20 touchdowns compared to just six interceptions. The problem is is that both the Bears and fans were expecting more. Especially as Jayden Daniels had the season he did with the Washington Commanders. Chicago was waiting for Williams to truly make his mark as the number one pick.
But that is hard to do when you’re on your back most of the game. Williams led the league with 68 sacks taken in 2024, 16 more than the second-highest sacked quarterback. It’s no secret that Chicago needs to do some serious damage control on their offensive line.
Still, even with that’s fixed, the Bears could use some extra juice in the running game. De’Andre Swift ran for 959 yards and six touchdowns in his debut. Yet, Chicago ranked 25th in rushing offense, averaging 102 yards per game. Swift will likely get a running mate in 2025.
The Bears seem set with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze as their top receivers. However, Keenan Allen is set to be a free agent. If he walks, Chicago will need to add another talented receiver to help soak in targets from Williams.
Ben Johnson knew what he was getting into when he signed up for his job with the Chicago Bears. He has strong pieces in place, headlined by quarterback Caleb Williams. But to get the Bears back into fighting form, Johnson will need to put on his best performance yet.
Chicago Bears 2025 NFL Draft profile: Ashton Jeanty
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
