Chicago Bears special teams in 2025 reminded me of the opening line in Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” novel because it truly was the best of times and the worst of times, depending on when you jumped in on the action.
It was the best of times when we saw the 2026 Bears get game-winning kicks from Cairo Santos and Jake Moody. A successful onside kick recovery sparked a rally in the regular-season win against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field, while a blocked field goal against the Las Vegas Raiders and a dashing return by Devin Duvernay (to set up a Santos game-winning kick) served as a reminder of the importance of quality special teams contributions beyond the kicker and punter.
But it was the worst of times when watching this group struggle in coverage. Tory Taylor’s punting left a lot to be desired. And Santos’ early-season kicking woes had us wondering if it was time to start looking for alternatives.
So when Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson said he was taking an increased interest in special teams, I was not surprised in the slightest:
Ben Johnson on what he is looking for today practicing against the Bengals:“I’m looking at special teams today. We did not play well against them last year.”
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) August 20, 2026A quick reminder of how Bears special teams units graded out last year, according to Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber rankings:
Overall Ranking: 15th Net Punt: 24th Opp Punt: 12th Kickoff Coverage: 13th Kickoff Return: 15th Field Goal Percentage: 18th Total Points: 82Ranking in the middle of the pack isn’t the worst, but it could be better!
Bears Special Teams Are Under the Microscope At Practice
That quote above from the Bears’ head coach had me looking back at the box score from the game against the Bengals. And while that trip down memory lane was a doozy, the special teams stats were not pretty. This is not a sight for sore eyes:
Bears kicker Cairo Santos missed a field goal, and it was ugly. Bengals returner Charlie Jones had a 98-yard kick return touchdown, putting Cincy on the board before the offense could even take the field. In total, the Bengals had 297 return yards on 8 attempts. That comes out to an average of 37.1 yards per return. Pro Football Focus’ data had Jahdae Walker down for two missed tackles. But he wasn’t alone, as Jonathan Owens, D’Marco Jackson, and Devin Duvernay — core members of the special teams unit — were credited with missed tackles. So was Santos, but I’m not going to hold a kicker accountable for missing a tackle.Through nine weeks, the Bears’ special teams was a mess. Santos missed some time due to injury and struggled when he was healthy, posting a disappointing 78.6 percent success rate on field goals. Taylor was inconsistent with his punts. Missed tackles were a regular occurrence. And the return game just wasn’t what it needed to be. In short, it looked like a special teams unit that was highly regarded in 2024 had taken a major step back in 2025.
Nov 3, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower against the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesHowever, we know that group turned it around late in the season. And that is an under-the-radar factor behind the team’s success last season. Santos made 87.5 percent of his field goals in the nine games that followed the Bengals win, which is more in line with his 88.8 percent success rate since rejoining the Bears in 2020. The coverage unit tightened up, and Duvernay rounded into form as he averaged 29.2 yards per return after the Cincy game — which was an improvement from the 25.5 yards per return he averaged up to that point.
Yours truly remembers writing this post about how things needed to change last year. And they did. As someone who has been begging for Bears coaches to make in-season adjustments his entire life, it was refreshing to see it actually happen. I’m holding out hope that those changes stick. If they do, then I’ll feel better about the team (as a whole) entering this year. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed here.
THE BN BEARS PODCAST LIVES HERE: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
Hence then, the article about ben johnson is taking a special interest in special teams during bears bengals joint session was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Ben Johnson Is Taking a Special Interest In Special Teams During Bears-Bengals Joint Session )
Also on site :
- Bárbara Hernández Makes History as Second Woman To Complete Double Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming
- Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue cut ball in half after completing rare feat for England against Pakistan
- Transfer news LIVE: Man Utd make Baleba breakthrough, Arsenal agree Konsa deal, Spurs eye double Man City raid