While the Chicago Bears only made the playoffs four times during Brian Urlacher’s tenure, their postseason trips included a Super Bowl berth and a spot in the NFC Championship. As Urlacher has watched the Bears over the past decade, he hasn’t seen anything close to the same level of success.
Chicago hasn’t made the playoffs since 2020, and they haven’t won a playoff game since 2010, two years before Urlacher retired. Since his retirement, the Bears have gone through six different head coaches, including Thomas Brown’s run as interim.
But now, Chicago has locked in on Ben Johnson. He is expected to help the Bears reach new heights. Urlacher sees and believes in the decision, explaining how things will be different under Johnson on the Glory Daze podcast.
“Ben Johnson’s the man. I love that hire, I think he’ll do a great job with Caleb [Williams]. They signed some guys up front to protect Caleb and they’ve always had the receivers. I think that’s going to be a good thing for him.
One of the biggest problems during Caleb Williams’ rookie season was the change in coaching staff. He went through numerous play callers and saw Matt Eberflus become the first head coach fired midseason in franchise history. With Johnson now in place, Urlacher knows that the quarterback will have a stronger foundation to stand on.
“I think he is going to be really good. If you put him in a different situation last year, I think he could’ve been Rookie of the Year,” Urlacher said. “So much turmoil going on there. It has been the last 13 years since they got rid of Lovie [Smith]. There has been no consistency in the coaching department. It’s not the player’s fault, it’s just the way it goes. Or maybe it is the player’s fault, cause they haven’t won so they can’t keep a coach.”
Chicago Bears struggles in Caleb Williams rookie year
Things got out to a hot start during Williams’ rookie season, with Chicago holding a 4-2 record into their bye week. But then came the Washington Commanders Hail Mary disaster. The Bears proceeded to go on a 10-game losing streak. Players like Williams and Rome Odunze have expressed discontent for how that situation was handled. Overall, it just led to Eberflus’ firing, more chaos and an overall dark cloud over Williams’ rookie season.
The quarterback did set a pair of Bears rookie passing records for yards (3,541) and touchdowns (20). However, Chicago as a whole ranked 31st in passing, averaging 181.5 yards per game. More often than not, Williams was invisible in the box score rather than a major contributor.
Whether that was player or coaching’s fault will be determined in 2025. However, the Bears remain confident in their No. 1 overall pick. All offseason has been set putting him in a place to succeed.
If he is able to find his stride under Johnson, the Bears will look much more successful in his sophomore season and beyond. But if Williams continues to struggle, Urlacher and all fans will continue seeing more of the same out of the Windy City.
Ben Johnson changes the game
Johnson has yet to officially serve as head coach at any level of football just yet. He has come to Chicago with plenty of hype, but he must first prove that he can handle life at the helm. Still, Johnson’s offensive prowess is why the Bears have been considered an early playoff contender by some.
Elevated to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator in 2022, the team finished fourth in total offense, averaging 380 yards per game. A year later, they ranked third, averaging 394.8 YPG. And in his final season in Detroit, Johnson’s Lions finished second in total offense, averaging 409.5 YPG.
One of Johnson’s greatest achievements was helping Jared Goff find his true potential. He had shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but now he is Detroit’s star quarterback. During the 2024 season, he ranked second in passing yards (4,629) and fourth in passing touchdowns (37).
Johnson has made it clear he expects Williams to cross the 4,000 yard threshold in 2025. If the quarterback and entire offense function as planned, it won’t take long for Johnson to prove why he was a strong hire.
