If you were wondering what having Ben Johnson as a coach would be like, I feel as if the story Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles told Sirius XM NFL Radio captures the spirit of the thing.
And I love that Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is at the heart of this anecdote:
.@ChicagoBears GM Ryan Poles on the first season together for HC Ben Johnson and QB Caleb Williams. ? t.co/ROaoooKTca#Bears | #DaBears pic.twitter.com/q2W6zgIJdt
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) February 1, 2026Words from Bears GM Ryan Poles:
“He set the tone early,” Poles said of Ben Johnson. “Communicated clearly what the expectations were and Caleb was all-in for it, and that’s what he was looking for. It’s one thing to say it, but then when we got on the practice field, you could see that come alive. If it wasn’t done the right way, we were going to do it again. We were in our exit meetings, Caleb was kind of laughing about it, doing a long-drive drill and starting it over five times. He was going to make sure it was done the right way and you could see growth through that.”
MORE: Inside Caleb Williams’ Record-Setting 2025
A few things stand out about the anecdote above. Firstly, Poles reiterating that Bears quarterback Caleb Williams wanted the tough love coaching that Ben Johnson was giving him. We’ve come a long way since bad-faith narrators trying to spin a narrative about Chicago’s QB1 not being coachable. Secondly, the takeaway that accountability was something that wasn’t just a buzzword for Johnson — which is evident with the anecdote about starting over a long-drive drill five times to get it right. That Williams grew from that experience is precisely why Ben Johnson makes the big bucks.
Hiring Ben Johnson has flipped the narrative surrounding many Chicago Bears
In quiet moments that have passed in the days since the end of the Chicago Bears’ season, I have had internal debates about who was the biggest winner after Ben Johnson’s hiring. Admittedly, that is an odd thing to think about. But I must find ways to pass time between now and when training camp opens up this summer. Besides, I find the Ben Johnson effect fascinating. Don’t you? Who knew one hire could change the landscape for so many people?
So … who gained the most from the Bears hiring Ben Johnson in January 2025?
It is easy to make the case that it is Caleb Williams, who made notable strides as a second-year quarterback while navigating Year 1 of being coached by Johnson. Several other Bears players (Darnell Wright, DJ Moore, D’Andre Swift, et al.) can make strong cases, too. But then, there are times when I feel as if Ryan Poles is the biggest winner in all of this — which isn’t a sentiment I was feeling when the Bears started 0-2. However, Johnson righting the ship after that start changed things for so many people. And the biggest winner of ’em all might have been Poles now that we have had some time to think about it.
BEN JOHNSON ISN’T INTERESTED IN MORAL VICTORIES
Hiring Ben Johnson gave the Bears general manager a clean slate. Plus, the hire helped lead upper management to give Poles an extension to give him contractual alignment with his head coach. And it sure as heck seems like he is making the most of a new lease on a football life. Poles’ role in assembling an NFC North title-winner could land him Executive of the Year honors depending on how the voting shakes out.
In the end, I can’t ignore the part of me that wants to say Bears fans are the biggest winners. After all, Johnson delivering 11 wins, a division title, and a playoff win against the Green Bay Packers brought new life to what had been a dormant fan base. Hopefully, down the line, there are more winners to write about when discussing the Ben Johnson era.
Ben Johnson watches a play against Lions at Ford Field in Detroit. | © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesPLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
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