Ben Johnson, Bears look ahead after breakthrough season
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears thrilled the city in coach Ben Johnson’s first season.
They pulled out one comeback win after another on their way to capturing the NFC North championship after finishing last in the division. They advanced in the playoffs for the first time in 15 years by rallying to beat Green Bay in a wild-card game before losing an overtime thriller to Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.
Now, it’s time to start building on everything they accomplished. Then again, maybe building isn’t the right word.
“There is no building off of this,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “We go back to square one. We’re back at the bottom again. That’s really all 32 teams. If you feel otherwise, you’re probably missing the big picture.”
The Bears are obviously starting from a stronger position, with Caleb Williams on his way to becoming a franchise quarterback after setting the team’s single-season passing record in his second year and Johnson looking like the coach to lead him to that next level. It’s a big change from last January, when the team was reeling after finishing 5-12 and firing former coach Matt Eberflus along the way.
Now, for the first time since he was hired in 2022, general manager Ryan Poles heads into the offseason with a contender rather than a rebuilding project.
“You just have more constraints,” he said. “At the same time, I don’t think the process changes. You’re gonna identify the guys that fit what we want in our football team, which coach hit, and you just keep trying to acquire those players. We know what they look like, we know how they act, we know how they talk, and we’ll continue to do that.”
Poles had a big offseason a year ago.
He transformed a struggling offensive line by trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signing center Drew Dalman. He also drafted Ozzy Trapilo in the second round. The Boston College product emerged as the starting left tackle, only to tear the patellar tendon in his left knee in the wild-card game against Green Bay.
Poles didn’t have a specific timeline for his return, though he figures to be out long term after having surgery.
“I’m sure it’ll be deep into next (season), with the injury,” Poles said. “So, we’ve had a conversation with him. He knows this is part of his journey that he has to overcome. I have a lot of faith in him and our staff to get him back ready to go whenever that is.”
Trapilo was one of four major contributors drafted by Poles this past year.
The Bears also hit big with tight end Colston Loveland in the first round, receiver Luther Burden in the second and running back Kyle Monangai in the seventh. Loveland, the No. 10 pick out of Michigan, led Chicago in receptions (58) and yards (713) and tied for the team lead in touchdown catches (six). The speedy and elusive Burden had 652 yards receiving. And the hard-running Monangai rushed for 783 yards as part of a productive tandem with D’Andre Swift.
The Bears have some decisions to make at safety with All-Pro Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker set to become free agents. The 32-year-old Byard, who led the league with seven interceptions, said this week he’d like to return. And Poles would like to have him back.
“I have no problem saying that’s a player that we would like to have back,” Poles said. “But, again, when you add the other safeties into that mix and all the other decisions we have across the roster, with cap restraints and things like that, it’ll be a challenge. But that’s part of what we do.”
Poles also acknowledged a need to improve the line on a defense that ranked 29th overall and 27th against the run. Chicago tied for 22nd in sacks with 35. But the Bears appear to have the two most important pieces in place — the coach and the quarterback.
“I’m really encouraged about the steps he took this year,” Johnson said. “I’m Caleb Williams’ No. 1 believer. I have a lot of faith in him and what he’s capable of doing and the player that he’s still striving to become.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl