Bears coach Ben Johnson trying to thread needle of building for long term, winning now

On a crisp Chicago morning, the first thing Ben Johnson notices isn’t the skyline glinting over Lake Michigan — it’s the sound of construction. Jackhammers, drills, workers shouting. The metaphor isn’t lost on him. “That’s what this is,” he says quietly, watching players filter into Halas Hall. “A rebuild — but one that can’t afford to look like one.”

The Chicago Bears, a franchise long starved for sustained success, stand at a crossroads familiar yet fraught with higher stakes. After years of searching for an identity that sticks, the team’s new head coach — once the mastermind behind Detroit’s innovative offense — now faces the impossible: building a foundation for the next decade while winning enough games to prove the future is already here.

Johnson’s arrival in January wasn’t about fireworks. It was about faith — from a front office that believes in analytics, player development, and patience in a league with no time for it. “He’s trying to modernize a franchise that’s been playing catch-up for 30 years,” one NFC scout said. “That’s not just hard — that’s cultural surgery.”

The balancing act

From his first day on the job, Johnson made one thing clear: this wouldn’t be a teardown. “We’re not blowing this up,” he told reporters at his introduction. “We’re building — brick by brick — but we’re not waiting five years to compete.”

That meant threading the needle between two visions. One demanded immediate progress — improvement in scoring, discipline, and execution. The other called for long-term sustainability — developing young talent, building continuity, and creating an identity that could outlast a single winning season.

For a city as impatient as Chicago, that balance is precarious. The Bears haven’t won a playoff game since 2010. They’ve burned through coaches like matches, chasing the spark that could finally relight Soldier Field. Johnson’s challenge isn’t just football — it’s psychological. Fans want hope that feels real, not theoretical.

“You can feel the pressure every week,” said linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. “Coach Johnson doesn’t show it, but he knows this city. They’ll love you if you win, and they’ll eat you alive if you don’t.”

Building from the ground up

Johnson’s playbook has been his calling card since Detroit — layers of motion, deception, and rhythm. But in Chicago, it’s the structure around the plays that matters more. He’s overhauled the team’s preparation methods, implementing data-driven workload tracking and individual player learning plans — details that show he’s not just building a system but a culture.

Quarterback Caleb Williams, the rookie sensation drafted first overall, is the centerpiece of that rebuild. Johnson’s relationship with him mirrors the one he once had with Jared Goff — teacher and pupil, strategist and executor. “Ben’s not about quick fixes,” Williams said. “He tells me, ‘We’re going to build this the right way, even if it takes a few scars to get there.’”

Early results have been mixed. The Bears’ offense shows flashes of brilliance — creative formations, calculated risks — but inconsistency remains. Johnson’s critics say his insistence on long-term development could cost games in the short term. Supporters counter that for once, the Bears have a plan that extends beyond next Sunday.

The ghosts of Chicago’s past

No one in Chicago can escape the past. Lovie Smith’s defense. The heartbreak of 2018’s “double doink.” The endless carousel of quarterbacks. For every bold promise, there’s a scar that reminds fans of what went wrong.

Johnson, though, doesn’t shy from those ghosts. In fact, he references them often. “You can’t fix something you don’t understand,” he said recently. “To move forward, you have to look back — and learn why those teams couldn’t sustain success.”

That philosophy has informed everything from roster construction to locker room leadership. Veteran acquisitions like safety Eddie Jackson and center Cody Whitehair serve as stabilizers — veterans who understand the emotional weight of losing streaks and rebuilds. Meanwhile, Johnson’s staff, drawn from a mix of college innovators and NFL veterans, reflects his belief in blending tradition with innovation.

Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who followed Johnson from Detroit, describes the mission succinctly: “We’re not trying to be trendy. We’re trying to be timeless.”

A team learning to grow

The Bears’ record midway through the season doesn’t tell the full story. Yes, they’ve had tough losses — heartbreakers that felt like lessons in patience. But there’s also a different kind of energy in Halas Hall.

“I’ve been here through chaos,” said wide receiver Darnell Mooney. “Now it feels like we’re finally building toward something real.”

Johnson’s practices are notoriously intense — not in volume, but in precision. Mistakes are corrected immediately. Successes are celebrated, but never exaggerated. Players say it feels like being part of a lab experiment where every movement has purpose.

“He’s got this quiet confidence,” said defensive lineman Gervon Dexter. “He doesn’t yell much. But when he does, everyone listens. He makes you believe that if you buy in, the wins will come — and not just this year.”

The city’s cautious optimism

Chicago fans, famously skeptical yet deeply loyal, are beginning to see glimmers of hope. Social media reactions after close games tell the story — frustration mixed with acknowledgment that something different is happening.

“Even when they lose, it’s not the same kind of loss,” one fan wrote on Reddit. “They’re competing. They’re creative. You can tell this coach actually has a plan.”

Local sports radio, often a furnace of cynicism, has softened its tone. Analysts point to the Bears’ improved offensive efficiency, their reduced penalty count, and their improved time-of-possession metrics as evidence that Johnson’s system is working beneath the surface.

Still, patience is thin. In Chicago, progress without results can sound like excuses. And Johnson knows it.

“We owe the fans wins,” he said after a narrow loss to Minnesota. “Not promises — wins. But you can’t grow a tree by pulling it every day to make it taller.”

The locker room shift

Perhaps the most remarkable change under Johnson isn’t visible on the field — it’s in the locker room.

For years, the Bears were defined by internal tension. Offense versus defense. Players doubting leadership. A sense that everyone was waiting for the next firing. Now, veterans describe a culture of accountability that feels new.

“He’s honest with us,” said running back Khalil Herbert. “If you mess up, he tells you why. If you do well, he tells you how to do it again. There’s no ego in it.”

Johnson’s approach to leadership mirrors his play-calling — calm, calculated, and designed to empower others. He delegates freely, trusting his coordinators to handle situational calls and young assistants to present game-plan data directly to players. That inclusivity, players say, has made them more invested in the outcome.

“It’s not just his team,” said safety Jaquan Brisker. “It’s our team now.”

The pressure of time

In the NFL, patience is a luxury no one can afford. Even the most visionary coaches — Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Dan Campbell — felt the burn of early doubt. Johnson’s blueprint is no different. The front office has committed to his process, but ownership and fans will eventually expect tangible results: playoff contention, not moral victories.

Johnson, though, seems unbothered by the ticking clock. “If you chase the scoreboard, you’ll lose yourself,” he told reporters. “I’m chasing the standard. That’s what lasts.”

That mindset is what drew Chicago to him — a belief that sustainable success is built on principle, not panic. It’s also what makes his mission so fragile. One injury, one losing streak, one bad decision could undo months of progress in a city desperate for a savior.