With wins few and far between for the Chicago Bears in recent years, any opportunity for fans to savor a victory — no matter the form — is one they can't miss.
Hiring Ben Johnson in the 2025 NFL coaching cycle qualifies as a massive victory for a Bears franchise that always seems to get decisions like this wrong. And it's the kind of win that should pay dividends for years (and years) to come.
In a recent ranking of this offseason's biggest winners and losers from the NFL coaching cycle, it was the Chicago Bears who were dubbed the league's biggest winner.
Yes, Bears fans, it's OK to smile.
Ben Johnson is a dream hire by the Chicago Bears
"The Chicago Bears are the biggest winners," Bleacher Report's Maurice Moton wrote. "They brought in the top candidate among the coordinators, Ben Johnson, who interviewed for vacancies last year but decided to stay with the Detroit Lions because of unfinished business.
"The 38-year-old's arrival is a strong positive for quarterback Caleb Williams. Although he posted decent passing numbers (3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions with a 62.5 percent completion rate), he didn't develop steadily through his rookie year."
Johnson bucks the trend of recent coaching hires by the Bears. Matt Eberflus followed Matt Nagy, who followed John Fox, who followed Marc Trestman.
Gross. Just... gross.
Patience may be a virtue, but in today’s sports world — fueled by social media and the demand for instant success — it feels all but extinct. Yet, some teams (and, more importantly, their fans) must endure their darkest days before finally seeing the light.
Chicago Bears fans know this struggle all too well, having weathered years of heartbreak and frustration. However, with Ben Johnson’s arrival, something feels different. For the first time in over a decade, there’s real hope. And Bears fans can feel it.
