The Chicago Bears have a long, tortured history on offense in the NFL. Given how difficult they make it seem every year, it might as well be quantum physics. Only two times since the Clinton administration have they managed to field a top-10 unit (1995 and 2013). Across that same time span, they have ranked 30th or worse four times, including last season. If people wonder why this team hasn't produced consistent winning for most of the past 40 years, it starts there. There are multiple explanations for this.
Inconsistency at the quarterback position is the most obvious. Chicago hasn't produced a franchise quarterback at any point in the Super Bowl era. Jim McMahon and Jay Cutler were as close as they came and both never reached their potential due to certain factors. For McMahon, it was injuries. For Cutler, it was coaching. The Bears aren't known for hiring the cream of the crop in the coaching ranks on the offensive side of the ball. That was never clearer than last season. According to Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog, other teams were aghast at the "system" Chicago tried to run in 2024.
On quarterback, Caleb Williams: "He's got no excuses now. The guy can do absolutely everything but when we scouted their offense last year, no shit, we laughed out loud sometimes. None of it made sense! Ben is going to put the right people in the right places on almost every snap. Caleb just has to process and execute. If he does, he's going to have a huge year. But I have some doubts."
This merely confirms the Chicago Bears did right in hiring Ben Johnson.
Their methods of fixing the offensive rot in the organization have been pathetic. It started with Marc Trestman in 2013, a CFL head coach who hadn't been in the NFL for almost a decade. Unsurprisingly, his system looked outdated and unimaginative. Next came Adam Gase, who only spent a year with the team before leaving. Dowell Loggains replaced him, bringing zero play-calling experience. Then there was Matt Nagy, an understudy of Andy Reid who'd only spent one season as an offensive coordinator.
Somehow, the worst was still to come. Head coach Matt Eberflus, a defensive-minded guy, hired Luke Getsy to take over in 2022. He, too, had no play-calling experience. After two years, he was replaced by Shane Waldron, who looked completely out of his depth last season. At last, the humiliations had gone far enough. GM Ryan Poles made it his mission to get the Chicago Bears the best possible offensive mind on the market this offseason. He succeeded with Ben Johnson, fresh off three outstanding seasons in Detroit.
If he makes good use of the talent on this roster like he did with the Lions, nobody will be laughing at the Bears for much longer.
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