Bears coach Ben Johnson was a savvy problem solver in Year 1. Now he has to do it all over again.
Ben Johnson did a lot in his first year as Bears coach, and the list of achievements ranges from redefining the team’s wayward culture to setting quarterback Caleb Williams on an upward trajectory. Few things impressed, though, as much as his ability to be a problem solver.
That should be an absolute job requirement for any coach, but his predecessors couldn’t do it. Matt Eberflus rarely had viable contingencies during games or in the big picture, and Matt Nagy struggled to pivot in his offensive game plans for most of his tenure.
Johnson, however, was adamant before he ever coached a game that the Bears would be better than anyone at adjusting, and throughout his first season, he proved it was a strength.
Not only did Johnson always seem to have a Plan B and C in his game plans, but he and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen did it with personnel, too. Constant maneuvering by the two of them led to stopgap solutions at left tackle, running back, cornerback, linebacker and other spots.
The challenge of the NFL, of course, is that new questions pop up constantly, and after a relatively quiet free agency by the Bears, Johnson will be tested in his problem-solving again.
The Bears have uncertainty on the offensive line in the wake of left tackle Ozzy Trapilo suffering a major knee injury in the playoffs and center Drew Dalman surprisingly retiring. There’s a deficit at wide receiver after trading away DJ Moore. The pass rush hasn’t been right for years. New issues have surfaced at cornerback and safety.
All the while, Williams still needs plenty of work as he tries to establish himself as the franchise cornerstone. That remains atop Johnson’s to-do list.
That’s putting a lot on the coach, but the Bears are paying him $13 million a year to figure it out. It’s a fair ask.
The Bears will go into next season similarly shaky at left tackle as they were last summer, when Johnson repeatedly vented frustration amid a four-way battle between Trapilo, Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet and Kiran Amegadjie, then benched Jones and Benedet during the season.
Jones, Benedet and Amegadjie will compete again, as well as new addition Jedrick Wills. Wills, 26, is a former No. 10 overall draft pick, but his career has gone off the rails because of injuries.
One way or another, Johnson is tasked with creating an answer where there currently doesn’t seem to be one. He and offensive line coach Dan Roushar must develop one of those players beyond what they’ve shown themselves to be so far.
The Bears traded for Patriots center Garrett Bradbury to fill in for Dalman, but there’s a good chance they’ll look for a more long-term replacement in the second or third-round of the draft. Getting a rookie center ready to play will be a project.
It’s easy to brush off Moore’s departure as no big deal after he dropped to career lows with 50 catches and 683 yards last season, but he was a valuable chess piece for Johnson who likely would’ve seen his role expand this season. Johnson called his value “immense” because of his versatility, intelligence and durability.
In order to mitigate the loss, Johnson must push Rome Odunze into the upper tier of NFL wide receivers, as the Bears expected him to be when they drafted him ninth overall in 2024. He has to establish Luther Burden into a reliable part of the offense, and not the limited-use weapon he was as a rookie. Most likely, Johnson will need to develop someone — perhaps Kalif Raymond, upstart Jahdae Walker or an incoming rookie — into a consistently productice third option as well.
And just as Eberflus, a defensive-minded coach, was held accountable for the Bears’ pitiful offense during his tenure, so too is Johnson responsible for what happens on defense. He delegates to Allen, but both of them have to ignite a pass rush that has been one of the league’s weakest.
The answers for that might have to come from within the building after the Bears bowed out of the Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson bidding.
Shemar Turner, a second-round pick last year who tore his ACL as a rookie, will be in the mix to start at defensive end opposite Montez Sweat. Dayo Odeyingbo was a pricey free-agent signing last year, but underperformed and then tore his Achilles. The solution here is anything but obvious.
Even if key pieces in the secondary like cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, as well as new safety Coby Bryant, stay healthy, Johnson and Allen have to decide on a second starting cornerback on the outside — Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith, both with question marks, are the leading candidates — and another safety.
That’s a hefty list, and it’s always possible for it to get longer as injuries pop up over the next few months.
The Bears have some draft capital to throw at those problems, but it’s easy to overestimate the value of those picks.
They should be able to find instant starters at three positions with their first-round selection (No. 25) and two in the second round (Nos. 57 and 60), but there are no certainties after that. Any pick in Rounds 3-7 is based largely on projection and hope.
Even their high picks come with limitations. Elite pass rushers and offensive tackles typically aren’t still there at No. 25 overall. The Bears had left tackle in mind last year with the No. 10 pick, for example, and the top three at that position went before that.
Johnson likely will take those challenges on at full force, but it’ll be difficult. The next challenge for him is to prove the problem-solving tenacity he showed in his first season is something he can do on a regular basis to propel the Bears forward to championship contention.