While head coach Ben Johnson is known for his offensive creativity, none of that would be possible without a strong foundation in place. As he took on his now role with the Chicago Bears, Johnson’s first order of business was building out his offensive line.
He started with a pair of trades for Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney. Johnson coached Jackson during his time with the Detroit Lions while Thuney is a four-time Super Bowl champion. They then signed top center free agent Drew Dalman to a $42 million contract. Ultimately, the Bears took an aggressive approach in improving their offensive line.
But Johnson didn’t want to add just for the sake of adding. There was a clear plan in place and each player was brought in for a reason. The head coach wanted to create a brand new culture across his offensive line entering 2025, via team reporter Larry Mayer.
“We want some tough, some gritty, some dirty individuals, and we feel pretty good about the two guys we got,” Johnson said. “‘Smart’ is a word that comes to mind, particularly with the interior players. We would love to have some versatility to our scheme, some multiplicity if you will. We’ve got a couple guys in the building now that we feel strongly can handle a variety of different concepts and schemes that we might want to employ each and every week.”
“Beyond that, their play speaks for themselves in terms of what the tape says,” Johnson continued. “The character, the integrity, it’s top notch. I can speak firsthand with Jonah and [general manager] Ryan [Poles] can speak firsthand with Joe. I’m really, really excited to get these guys in the room. Combined with the coaches that we’ve already put together for that room, I feel really good about the style of play we’ll have this year.”
Chicago Bears find their offensive line
While the jury is still out on Braxton Jones at left tackle, the Chicago Bears have essentially crafted their 2025 offensive line. Darnell Wright is locked into right tackle, and Jackson, Dalman and Thuney were all acquired with starter’s roles in mind.
Jackson is arguably the most controversial of the grouping. His debut with the Los Angeles Rams fell flat as injuries held him to just four games. When he did play, the Rams had Jackson at center rather than his more natural guard. Now with the Bears, Jackson will have an opportunity to return to his natural guard, playing under a head coach he has experience with.
Dalman may have the least amount of name value, but most potential out of the three. The 26-year-old is coming over from the Atlanta Falcons, where he developed into one of the more intriguing centers in the league. Injuries held him to just nine games in 2024. But when he did play, Dalman’s 78.8 grade from Pro Football Focus ranked fourth/64 centers. He will be in the middle of Chicago’s offensive line for the foreseeable future.
Thuney is the Bears’ elder statesman and the glue that will hold everything together. He is coming off of his second-straight All-Pro nomination and is playing arguably the best football of his career. Furthermore, Thuney understands exactly what it takes to win a Super Bowl. He’ll be a key component of setting Johnson’s culture.
All three players are ready to embrace the new era of Chicago Bears football. While the expectations may be lofty, the goal in front of them is clear.
Ben Johnson demands offensive line
Fans remember Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta from Johnson’s time with the Lions. But just as important were Penei Sewell, Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow. Everything Johnson called starting with stout protection of front.
Detroit allowed 33 sacks in 2024, 10th-best in the NFL. Perhaps it’s not a surprise that the Lions also finished second in passing offense, averaging 4,474 yards per game. Johnson will have ways to get the ball into playmaker’s hands, but Chicago cannot allow Caleb Williams to be sacked 68 times.
Furthermore, the Lions finished 2024 ranked sixth in rushing offense, averaging 146.4 yards per game. Gibbs and David Montgomery are great runners, but they can’t shine without the open hole. For D’Andre Swift or any Bears runner, the offensive line will be crucial in reinvigorating the offense.
It certainly won’t be an immediate fix, as the Bears had major offensive line problems. But Johnson and company made sure they made the proper adjustments in an effort to truly remedy the issue.
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