The Chicago Bears are facing a new era – one filled with hope, wishes, and most importantly – quarterback, Caleb Williams, and head coach, Ben Johnson.
Despite having only been hired last month, Johnson has already made a name for himself as a “shot taker”. Firstly, hitting arch rivals, the Green Bay Packers, in his opening presser, before taking a subtle, but nevertheless stinging shot at his former quarterback and now-division rival, the Detroit Lions‘ Jared Goff.
Ben Johnson Throws Shade At Jared Goff With Strange Remark
Speaking to the media on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine, the newly minted Bears head coach had some kind words to say about his new quarterback – whilst incidentally shading his former signal caller.
“Listen, super talented. Out of structure, the off schedule, the creation, that’s what stands out the most, because that’s really the way that this league is going right now. It seems like as much as you want to make it pure progression, 1 to 2 to 3, there’s just too much variety; the pass-rush is coming down. And to have an athlete like Caleb extend the play and potentially find an explosive [play] down the field, that’s what gets me going a little bit.
I get excited thinking about that because I haven’t really been around that since I’ve been in the league. But, I’ve been on the other side, and I’ve experienced it. It’s demoralizing when you’re on the other side and you’re watching that happen to your defense.”
Is Jared Goff A Playmaking Quarterback?
Johnson, whose first coordinator-level job was with the Lions over the past three years, where he has helped Detroit to a top-four total offense birth in each of the past three seasons – including top two in both 2023 and 2024 – is clearly gushing over the talents of Williams, which are numerous.
But in stating how he has never had a quarterback who’s been able to extend plays and make things happen down the field off-schedule is somewhat of a brutal burn to throw the direction of the 4 x Pro Bowler, Goff, who has been to two conference championship games and one Super Bowl over the course of his career.
In a sense, Johnson is not lying: Goff is not the most dynamic playmaker with his feet, and is certainly less athletic than some of his younger counterparts – many of whom are comparable athletes to teammates playing receiver and in the secondary in the league – see Lamar Jackson and Williams’ draft class-mate, Jayden Daniels. Josh Allen for example, who just won his first MVP earlier this month, moves more like a freak, 4.5 40-yard linebacker, than an old school pocket-passer.
But that’s not all to say that Goff is like a Tom Brady or Troy Aikman statue-like QB behind the line of scrimmage, totally reliant on his offensive line and offensive scheme to make things happen in the passing game. Goff has shown himself to be able to make plays under pressure time and time again – even if he does have a pick-infused game every once in a while.
Regardless, this will no doubt add fuel to the Lions’ – and Goff’s – fire to get back at a very confident Bears head coach, whom Detroit will meet again very soon.
