Chicago Bears earn NFC best accolade for offseason work

Ever since the Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson, there has been a ringing buzz hovering over the Windy City. While the Bears are coming off of a 5-12 season, many are expecting the franchise to take a gargantuan leap in Johnson’s debut.

After their Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders, Chicago just looked lost. The franchise was forced to make a groundbreaking decision, firing their head coach midseason for the first time in team history. While Johnson won’t suddenly turn the Bears into Super Bowl favorites, the fact the franchise has solid ground to stand on has Chicago’s arrow pointing up.

The Bears didn’t stop at just Johnson when it comes to their offseason additions. Chicago was aggressive throughout the offseason, proving the team is looking to be back in contention sooner rather than later. Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus took notice, awarding the Bears an A+ for their offseason. The New England Patriots were the only other franchise in the league to earn an A+.

“It was an ideal offseason for the Bears. They made huge splashes in their coaching staff, not just with Ben Johnson as head coach but also with Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator,” Sikkema wrote. “They then traded for or signed Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman to solidify their starting offensive line. That allowed them to take a “best player available” approach in the draft, which yielded Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III and Ozzy Trapilo, among others.”

Chicago Bears offseason additions 

What Johnson means to the Bears organization can’t be understated. While he’ll need to prove himself as a head coach, the former offensive coordinator helped the Detroit Lions become one of the best teams in the NFL. Building around quarterback Caleb Williams, Chicago is confident Johnson can do the same for their franchise.

Upon his arrival, Johnson built his coaching staff around both young and veteran names. The fresh faces will keep new ideas churning, while the veteran voices will be Johnson’s afloat as he navigates his first season as top dog. One of those veterans is defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

He was given a pair of new defensive linemen in Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo. The former will form a tandem with Gervon Dexter Jr and will be tasked with plugging up holes in the middle. The latter will form an explosive tandem with Montez Sweat off the edge. Coupled with extensions for cornerback Kyler Gordon and linebacker TJ Edwards, Allen has a strong defensive core in front of him. However, after watching the Bears finish 27th in total defense, he has a tall task in front of him as he helps Chicago get back on track.

With offense being Johnson’s specialty, he is surely looking for a massive rise in 2025. The Bears hit rock bottom in 2024, ranking dead last in total offense by averaging 284.6 yards per game. Part of the issue was Williams taking a league-high 68 sacks. However, Chicago traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson before signing center Drew Dalman. All three players only bolster the Bears’ blocking plan and give Williams more time to operate in the pocket.

When he looks downfield, Williams will have a number of elite pass catchers to target. The Bears already had DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet. Then, they used their first two picks in the 2025 NFL Draft on Colston Loveland and Luther Burden respectively. Chicago has left no stone unturned and were determined to put their quarterback in a place to succeed.

But offseason grades won’t matter if there are no results on the field. The Bears and their fans have seen optimism fall flat before. It’s up to Johnson and company to prove this time it’s legit and that Chicago is ready to compete once more.