How A George McCaskey Intervention Apparently Saved Ben Johnson
Becoming an NFL head coach is not easy. It’s the exact opposite, in fact. Leading a group of grown adults in a sport built on emotion and belief is incredibly difficult. It takes a significant degree of intelligence, conviction, and charisma. However, there is another trait that George McCaskey had learned over many years of watching his beloved Chicago Bears that was necessary: authenticity. He often found the most successful coaches, both in Chicago and elsewhere, were at their best when they displayed their true selves to the locker room.
According to Dan Wiederer of The Athletic, there was a moment early in 2025 when the Bears’ owner sensed that new head coach Ben Johnson looked a little unsure of himself. He wasn’t communicating to players with his true personality. So McCaskey decided to step in.
In fact, McCaskey emphasizes, before Johnson’s super-charged “Good, Better, Best” postgame sermons became a cultural phenomenon in Chicago, he had seen a too-tame version after one of the Bears’ earliest wins last season.
“His postgame message was something like, ‘Well, golly gee, that was a daggum ringer, wasn’t it, fellas?’” McCaskey says with a laugh. “And I went to him and said, ‘Did somebody get to you?‘”
McCaskey encouraged Johnson to remain authentic, offering his blessing for whatever that might look like, sound like, or turn into. Thus, Johnson reacted to the franchise’s first playoff victory in 15 years with fiery invective.
Shortly after that meeting, we saw the debut of the now-iconic “Good, Better, Best” chants. Johnson displayed his passion for the game, leading to unforgettable moments like stripping off his shirt after beating Philadelphia to screaming, ‘Fuck the Packers!’ after that unforgettable win in the playoffs.
George McCaskey has plenty of critics.
It is understandable. Since taking over as team chairman in 2011, he’s had a rough track record at finding the right leadership for his franchise. Phil Emery and Ryan at GM, and Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, and Matt Eberflus as head coaches are bound to earn lots of scorn from fans. Still, there is one thing you can’t deny about the 70-year-old. He cares. The Bears mean everything to him. He’s grown up watching them since he was a child during the latter years of George Halas himself.
There are plenty of owners out there who don’t need football. They own a team more for prestige than passion for the game. That is not McCaskey. He cares when things aren’t going the right direction. While he isn’t the type to intervene personally, he at least is willing to offer advice and encouragement when it feels necessary. He picked his moment perfectly, it seems. Once Johnson had McCaskey’s blessing to stop holding back, we finally saw the true coach he was meant to be.
Johnson and McCaskey are on the same page.
That is the most important takeaway from all of this. One of the crucial factors needed for a successful organization is synergy between the three men at the top. In this case, it’s George McCaskey, Coach Johnson, and general manager Ryan Poles. All signs point to that finally being a real thing for the Bears. Poles and Johnson work in close tandem on constructing the roster. Johnson has McCaskey’s full blessing to do whatever he feels is necessary to build a championship culture.
If the Bears do reach the mountaintop in the coming years, Johnson and Poles will likely get most of the credit. That comes with the territory. However, it is important not to forget little moments like this. McCaskey stepping in to keep his young head coach focused on what matters is one of those crucial twists in the path that often have far-reaching effects. Give the man credit for recognizing what must be done. The last thing he wanted was a robot running his team.