The Chicago Bears entered the offseason knowing that massive changes needed to be made. General manager Ryan Poles wasn’t necessarily on the hot seat just yet, but his Matt Eberflus plan failed drastically. He knew whoever he hired to lead the Bears next must change the perception of the organization completely.
So far, Ben Johnson has done just that. While the team must put together wins to live up to the hype, there’s no doubting that Johnson’s arrival has created a mighty buzz over the Windy City. But Johnson’s construction of Chicago’s new-look roster didn’t come alone. Poles, as general manager, oversaw every transaction made.
Of all the offseason moves, outside of hiring Johnson, the Bears have been most lauded for their work on the offensive line. Now, the unit is considered the strongest on all of Chicago’s roster, via Mike Clay of ESPN.
“Offensive line. I could’ve gone a few directions here (WR? TE? DB?), but Chicago’s O-line has a shot to be one of the league’s best,” Clay wrote. “That might seem silly considering the Bears allowed a league-high 68 sacks last season, but they ranked 15th in pass block win rate (60.4%) and eighth in run block win rate (72.5%) and are now substantially better on paper. All three interior positions were upgraded (left guard Joe Thuney, center Drew Dalman and right guard Jonah Jackson) next to standout tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright.”
Offensive line struggles
In 2024, Chicago’s offensive line was hampered by injuries and poor play. Now guards Nate Davis and Teven Jenkins, alongside Shelton Coleman have all departed the organization. It’s not hard to see why Chicago decided not to run it back after allowing a league-high 68 sacks.
To be fair, quarterback Caleb Williams wasn’t faultless is the sack issues. Oftentimes, he would hold onto the ball too long, giving the defense more than enough time to get into the backfield. Still, Johnson is undoubtedly working on that heading into year two. A more stout blocking unit in front of him, alongside a more dynamic pass game, should allow Williams to make quicker decisions.
Alongside Williams, running back D’Andre Swift struggled to just a 3.9 yard per carry average in his Bears debut. Chicago as a whole ranked 25th overall in rushing, averaging 102 yards per game. Swift or whoever is carrying the ball must be more efficient. But it should come easier with more holes being theoretically forged open on the line.
Ultimately, the new offensive line must learn to play together. But things look a lot brighter than they did in Williams’ debut.
Chicago Bears additions
The first domino to fall was acquiring right guard Jonah Jackson in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. Johnson was undoubtedly banging the table for his addition, as Jackson was named to his lone Pro Bowl during their time together on the Detroit Lions.
The guard did struggle during his one year with the Los Angeles Rams. However, injuries held him out for most of the season, and when he did play, Jackson was out of position. Now healthy and back at right guard, Johnson is confident Jackson will thrive in Chicago.
His left guard counterpart of Joe Thuney, who the team acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs, almost needs no introduction. Arguably the best player on the Bears overall, Thuney is coming to the Windy City having already won four Super Bowls. Despite entering his age-32 season, he isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Thuney has been named to three straight Pro Bowls and has been named an All-Pro in back-to-back seasons.
In the middle will be new center Drew Dalman, who signed a three-year, $42 million contract in free agent. He only played in nine games in 2024 due to an ankle injury. However, he still dazzled by ranking fourth/64 guards with a 78.8 grade from Pro Football Focus. Still only 26-years-old, the Bears expect Dalman to grow stronger and develop into the centerpiece of their offensive line for the foreseeable future.
Poles and company wanted to build their team around Williams. But they knew they couldn’t do that without a strong offensive line. Rather than trying to bandage the issue, the general manager put forth an aggressive remedy to keep his quarterback upright in the pocket.
Now, the rest of the NFL world is starting to catch on.
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