Chicago Bears press conferences with Ben Johnson as the head coach are far more interesting than they were when Matt Eberflus was running the show. Johnson provides straight-forward answers that often nudge me to look deeper into things. At a minimum, Johnson’s words give me a different perspective on the game. Whether he speaks before or after games, I’ve found the first-year Bears head coach’s press briefings to be a breath of fresh air.
Here are some highlights from his latest chat with the media at Halas Hall.
Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson reacts during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn ImagesBen Johnson on Theo Benedet
The first major decision of the Ben Johnson era came when the Bears head coach pulled the plug on Braxton Jones as his starting left tackle and inserted second-year player Theo Benedet. To his credit, Benedet has played better than you might expect from an undrafted player whose rookie season was essentially a redshirt year while he sat out with an injury. Moreover, Benedet’s Week 6 debut against the Washington Commanders went well. So much so that the head coach mentioned that he didn’t notice Benedet all that much. In case you’re unfamiliar with coach speak, it is a good thing when coaches don’t notice offensive linemen. It tends to mean they’ve done a good job.
Unfortunately, that was not the case in Benedet’s second start.
“It’s inconsistent, to say the least. He had a couple false starts mixed in there,” Johnson said. “Run game wise, he did some good things in terms of moving guys. But probably wasn’t as clean as it could be. And then in pass pro, I think Chase Young got after him just a little bit more than he had liked as well.”
To be clear, I don’t think Theo Benedet is at risk of losing his job. And I certainly do not believe Johnson would turn to someone else after just two games. Between his showing during training camp practices and in his first start, Benedet should have a fair amount of time to lay claim to the starting gig. But with that being said, this quote from his head coach is the type of thing that will keep him on his toes:
“We need all of our guys to perform at a high level for us to move the ball, score points on offense, win games as a team, and so the evaluation process always goes on. If there is someone that’s not pulling his weight, then we’ve got to make a decision there. But, no, I think he’s going to continue to get better with the more reps that he gets. And, that wasn’t a slouch that he was going against yesterday on most of those snaps and I think he’s going to continue to get better.”
The pull quote above reminds me of what Ben Johnson said during the summer about how things could change at the position throughout the season. Again, I don’t think Benedet is going to get bumped out of the starting lineup anytimne soon unless something extremely bad happens in the coming weeks. Nevertheless, we’ll continue to monitor what happens at that position for obvious reasons.
On preparing for Roquan Smith
The Chicago Bears used the eighth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to select Roquan Smith, a linebacker who made an immediate impact in the middle of Vic Fangio’s defense. Smith played well during his time in Chicago. He was a tackling machine who was at the heart of a team that made the postseason twice (2018, 2020) in three years. Things went south for Roquan and the Bears when Ryan Poles, in his first year as Bears general manager, failed to extend the linebacker’s contract. Instead, Poles sent Smith off to Baltimore. Since then, Smith has made three Pro Bowls and has been named a first-team All-Pro three times.
While all eyes are on Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for obvious reasons, those on the offensive side of the ball should be aware of Roquan Smith’s return to the lineup. Based on what Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson had to say when asked about Roquan, you can tell he is at the top of the scouting report heading into this game:
Bears head coach Ben Johnson on Roquan Smith: "He is fast. He diagnoses quickly. See ball, get ball, sideline to sideline. … He finds a way to get around blocks and be around the football. We're going to have to do our best to cover him up. … He is playing at a super high level."
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain.bsky.social) October 22, 2025 at 12:05 PMBen Johnson on Bears quarterback Caleb Williams
It’s not as if Ben Johnson gives away trade secrets when he gets behind the mic. But one thing the Bears head coach does is clue us in on something to keep an eye on after the ball kicks off on Sunday afternoon. One thing I’ll be watching for this week is to see if quarterback Caleb Williams will run the ball more.
“Throughout the season we have been behind the sticks quite a bit,” Johnson said (h/t CHGO) “If we can stay on schedule, stay on track this thing is going to come to life. We have to be better in the red zone. We have been settling for field goals the last couple of weeks.”
Caleb Williams has 32 carries, 106 rushing yards, and two touchdowns to his name this season. As a rookie in 2024, Williams had 81 carries and 489 rushing yards, but no scores. Williams had had eight carries and has lost four yards over the last two games. It would be nice to see him use his legs to help move the offense along.
Chicago Bears Press Conference — Head Coach Ben Johnson
For more from the Bears head coach, you can watch his media availability below:
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