Ben Johnson already getting more buy-in from Bears star than any other coach

The Chicago Bears are hoping to move on from a tumultuous 2024 season that saw more than its fair share of dysfunction, both on the field and on the sideline.

The Bears were expecting to make a push for the playoffs after selecting quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Chicago surrounded the rookie with talented skill position players, but the team still took a significant step backward during the season.

Williams was touted as a generational prospect, but he struggled mightily in his rookie season. There were concerns about his tendency to hold onto the ball too long, and those issues were only compounded by the team’s subpar offensive line. Williams was sacked 68 times during the regular season, the most among all quarterbacks.

In hopes of saving Williams’ career, the Bears named former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their next head coach on Monday. Johnson emerged as one of the top head coaching candidates after leading the league’s highest-scoring offense in 2024. 

D.J. Moore returned from vacation for Ben Johson's press conference

Johnson’s arrival has renewed hope in Chicago, and the players may be just as excited as the fans. Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore left a family vacation to be present for Johnson’s introductory press conference, according to CHGO’s Adam Hoge. 

That’s a pretty significant commitment from Chicago’s top wideout — especially since he was already thinking about vacation nearly a month before the season ended.

Moore’s unhappiness was evident under former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. The disgruntled wideout appeared to walk off the field during a play in the team’s 29-9 loss against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9. When asked if Eberflus had lost the team’s locker room, Moore responded, “I want to say no.”

The Bears found ways to lose in all three phases of the game under Eberflus. The defense allowed a game-winning Hail Mary to the Washington Commanders, the special teams allowed the Green Bay Packers to block a game-winning field goal attempt, and the offense mismanaged the clock in a loss to the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. 

The debacle against Detroit proved to be the last straw for Eberflus, who was fired the following day. Conditions didn’t improve after midseason coaching changes, and the Bears lost 10 consecutive games before finishing the season with a win in Week 18. 

Johnson helped resurrect the career of Lions’ quarterback Jared Goff, and his offensive prowess is expected to significantly help change the trajectory of Williams’ career. Still, the Bears have a significantly less talented offense than Detroit — particularly across the offensive line. There’s a lot of work that will need to be done before Chicago’s offense can turn into a high-scoring threat, and the results likely won’t be evident immediately.