Ben Johnson throws the gauntlet down, challenges Bears roster to earn their keep

Ben Johnson is making sure Chicago Bears players know that they will have to earn their keep moving forward.

After the first two nights of the 2025 NFL Draft saw the Bears take a tight end in Colston Loveland and a wide receiver in Luther Burden, there had been a question over how the Bears would ensure that all of their playmakers get involved on offense.

That was one of the first questions Johnson was asked when meeting with reporters on Saturday after the draft.

“What I’m going to be curious to see is what guys look like when the ball’s not in their hands on offense,” Johnson said to reporters on Saturday. “We have a lot of weapons. So, how are you going to run your route when you might not be No. 1 in the progression? How are you going to block for your teammate when he has the ball? Because when you do those things right, then as a coaching staff, we’re going to want to get you the ball a little bit more. So it all ties together.”

Johnson's challenge to players on Saturday echoes the message he had to the roster when he was first introduced as the Bears' head coach.

“Get comfortable being uncomfortable,” Johnson told reporters in January, on the message he had to his players. “The bar has been set higher than it’s ever been set before, and the only way for this team and for you as individual players to reach your potential is to be pushed and to be challenged.”

There were plenty of Bears' players last season who did not have favorable moments when the play wasn't going in their direction. We're not calling DJ Moore, specifically, but he is probably the player that immediately came to your mind when hearing Johnson's message on Saturday. It sounds like that will be the biggest thing that will change under Johnson. There won't be half measures with the Bears' team and if there are, that player won't have a role.

This is a new era for the Bears as they have a head coach in Johnson who won't be afraid to hold players accountable.