Although I am dubious of Ben Johnson having the type of success he thinks he will leading the Chicago Bears, I do think he will have a positive impact on the offensive side of the ball. The former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator switched allegiances in the NFC North this past offseason. One of his first orders of business was to take a strong tight end high in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Michigan.
When the Bears drafted former Wolverines star Colston Loveland at No. 10, I thought in the moment that was a gross reach for them. Then again, Johnson built a reputation for using two tight end sets to perfection in Detroit. He also is a big fan of using two high-end running backs to share the workload. However, I do wonder if Loveland's arrival will play a part in the Bears moving on from Cole Kmet soon.
Kmet has spent his entire NFL career out of nearby Notre Dame with the Bears. While he is still under contract with Chicago through the 2027 NFL season, there is a chance he could be yesterday's news in Chicagoland if Loveland flourishes. Having two great tight ends is such a luxury in the league, but there is only so much of the financial pie to be had. There are only so many balls to be had in a game.
It may come down to who develops a better rapport, for the money, with quarterback Caleb Williams.
Colston Loveland is about to take Cole Kmet's starting job with the Bears
After taking a look at the Bears depth chart over on Ourlads, you can clearly see that the rookie Loveland is slotted ahead of Kmet as their TE1. Given that passing the ball has almost always been a challenge in Chicago, having a reliable safety valve, or two, in the passing game at tight end is so paramount for Williams' development. It is why if either Loveland or Kmet fails that Williams may fail.
As far as what I think the Bears can do this season, I expect for them to be better, but to what degree, I am not so sure. This could be a team pushing for a playoff berth, but I cannot definitively put another one of their division rivals below them. I am not high on Minnesota, but the Vikings have burned me so many times in the regular season before. Detroit will still be good, as with Green Bay to some extent.
What I am getting at is the Bears made it a priority to bring Loveland to Chicago to help get the most out of Williams. In back-to-back drafts, Williams has Rome Odunze and now Loveland to throw the ball to. They were every bit blue-chip prospects coming out of college. Now that Johnson is in the building, Williams could soon be running out of excuses to be the franchise quarterback of the Bears.
There still will be growing pains for the Bears this season, but I will be viewing them in a positive light.