Ben Johnson will have plenty of expectations placed on his shoulders as he enters his role as the new Chicago Bears head coach. But Johnson isn’t shying away from the pressure, instead setting even loftier goals for himself.
While he was a prolific play caller with the Detroit Lions, this will be the first time Johnson has been a head coach at the NFL level. And while the Bears are a historic franchise, they haven’t made much recent success. He has a difficult job in front of him turning Chicago into legit contenders.
Still, Johnson is ready for the road ahead. While the 2025 season is the focus, the head coach has already thought big picture. When it’s all said and done, Johnson is hopefully his tenure with the Bears ends with him being considered one of the greatest head coaches in NFL history, via Pardon My Take.
“I want to be a damn good football coach,” Johnson said. “I want to be remembered as Andy Reid-esqe or Bill Belichick-esqe. That’s what I aspire to be.”
Chasing Bill Belichick, Andy Reid’s legacy
For Ben Johnson to truly match Bill Belichick and Andy Reid, he would need to put together a historic coaching performance for the Bears. However, fans will at least be excited to hear Johnson’s confidence in himself.
Belichick currently ranks third in NFL history with 302 career wins. Reid is right behind him in fourth with 273. Even in a 17 game schedule, Johnson would need to have a serious track record of long-term success with the Bears to hit their marks.
Furthermore, Belichick’s nine Super Bowl wins are the most of any coach in league history. While Reid fell short against the Philadelphia Eagles in the most recent Super Bowl, his six championship rings tie him for second most all-time with Don Shula.
Point is, if Johnson truly wants to be amongst the greats, he is going to need to hit some seriously high bars. The head coach is nevertheless up for the challenge.
Getting the Chicago Bears back on track
It would be foolish to consider the Bears a true playoff contender until they prove it on the gridiron. However, Johnson understands exactly what the Bears must do to get back on track.
As an offensive guru, his main focus will be ensuring Caleb Williams has a breakout sophomore season. It’s not like he was terrible as a rookie, completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. He even ran for another 489 yards, although he failed to find the end zone with his legs.
The biggest problem is Williams was unable to showcase his true No. 1 overall pick potential. A big part of that was the fact he was sacked a league-high 68 times. While becoming the next Belichick or Reid is a long-term goal, fixing the Bears offensive line right now is the only way Johnson can jumpstart that success.
At the same time, Johnson must be mindful of the defense, which is why he brought in former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen. The team finished their 2024 season ranked 27th in total defense, allowing 354.3 yards per game.
Chicago hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2020. They haven’t advanced past the Wild Card Round since 2010. But if Ben Johnson’s vision comes true, the Bears will be hanging banners in rapid fashion.
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