Ben Johnson Is Already Fine-Tuning His Blueprint as the Bears Target an Even Stronger Offense in Year Two

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has spent the offseason digesting what worked and what needs sharpening. His team posted a top-10 offense in his first season at the helm. Now he wants more. Speaking to reporters Tuesday at Halas Hall, Johnson made it plain: he has already changed “fairly significantly” as a play-caller, and the roster in front of him gives him fresh reasons to keep evolving.

Johnson’s Growth Shows in How He Talks About the Job

Johnson did not arrive in Chicago with a rigid script from his Detroit days. He adjusted on the fly in 2025 and came away convinced he can get even better in critical situations. “I’d like to think I’m better in situations than I’ve been in the past,” he said. “You continue to grow, and you learn from your own mistakes or things that have gone well for you. You look to tailor it to the guys that are available, and we have different guys this year than we had last year and certainly anywhere else I’ve been.”

The challenge, he added, is simple in concept and demanding in execution: “making sure that we’re all coordinated, on the same page, and putting them all in a spot to succeed.” That coordination showed up in flashes last season. It never fully clicked into the kind of sustained rhythm Johnson believes is possible.

“The plays don’t matter so much to me. It’s more so, how do we get these guys the ball with a little bit of space to do what they do so well?”
— Ben Johnson

A Loaded Skill Group That Rewards Creativity

Johnson’s eyes light up when he talks about the options at his disposal. He singled out the same names fans have circled since the end of last season: Luther Burden, Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet, all orbiting an ascending Caleb Williams.

Burden turned heads late in 2025. The shifty wideout posted 25 catches and 357 yards across the final five regular-season games as he grew more comfortable in the offense. That stretch felt like a preview. Odunze, when healthy, gives the Bears a big-bodied threat who can win on the perimeter and stretch defenses vertically. Loveland, the rookie tight end who led the Bears in both receptions and receiving yards last season, keeps growing into a mismatch nightmare. Kmet remains the steady veteran who can win in the red zone and on third downs.

Johnson described the group as “this whole slew of weapons that we’re looking to maximize.” The fun part for him is not drawing up exotic concepts on paper. It is finding the right spacing and timing so each player can operate in the areas where he is most dangerous.

Williams Remains the Engine—and the Wild Card

Everything flows through the quarterback. Williams made meaningful strides in 2025, setting the franchise single-season passing yards record while leading the Bears to an 11-6 mark, the NFC North title and a postseason victory. Johnson has watched the comfort level rise in real time.

“There is a lot of unpredictability that comes along with it,” Johnson said of Williams’ game. “As he continues to grow and develop, if the structure of the play is there for him, then he’ll take it. But what he can do out of structure is really unique, and I think it makes us even more difficult to defend.”

That dual identity—disciplined within the called play, electric when things break down—gives Chicago a dimension few defenses can fully prepare for. Johnson knows the structure has to be sound first. Williams’ ability to extend plays and create on his own is the bonus that can push the offense from good to elite.

Why Year Two Can Look Different

Continuity matters. The same coaching staff returns. The same young core returns with another full offseason of work together. The installation phase that consumed so much energy in 2025 shrinks. Johnson can spend more time on the subtle tweaks that separate top-10 offenses from the ones that dominate in January.

He is not chasing a specific style for style’s sake. He is chasing the version of this offense that best fits the players wearing Bears jerseys right now. That player-first approach is what made him a coveted play-caller in Detroit and what he is refining in Chicago.

The pieces are in place. The quarterback is ascending. The skill group is deep and diverse. Johnson has already shown he is willing to adjust his own approach when the situation demands it. That combination is why the optimism around the Bears offense feels different this June than it did a year ago.