After eight months of waiting, fans in the Windy City finally got the opportunity to see the Chicago Bears take the field once again on Sunday afternoon. And while the Bears’ preseason opener may not have featured any of the big names that fans are most excited to see play in 2025, it did provide everyone the opportunity to get a taste of what the Ben Johnson era in Chicago may be like.
After the game against the Miami Dolphins concluded in a 24-24 tie, the 38-year-old Johnson stepped to the podium for his first postgame press conference as a head coach. Here are some of his most noteworthy statements:
Johnson on the state of the Chicago Bears… “It makes you proud as a coach when you see the guys go out there and give everything that they’ve got. The other thing is, you’ve got a few guys who aren’t dressed out, they’re in Bears gear, and they’re right there up front and center, cheering their buddies on. That’s what you want to see at this point. We’re halfway through camp, and the team chemistry is really coming together.”
Watching the game, you could actually feel this. After a late-game Dolphins turnover, there was a cutaway to the Bears sideline and everyone was active and engaged and excited. Namely, Rome Odunze appeared to be very fired up.
Johnson on injuries accumulated versus Miami Dolphins… “Amen (Ogbongbemiga) went out with a shoulder. (Travis) Homer had a calf. Major Burns had a knee. Terell Smith had a groin. And we had (Luke) Newman, he’s in for a concussion right now.”
See, I would’ve guessed that it was more likely that Major Burns would be dealing with something like smoke inhalation, not a knee, but what do I know? I’m not a medical expert.
Johnson on tying in the Preseason… “How many times I gotta tell you that? They ain’t natural, all right? If God wanted games to end in a tie, she wouldn’t have invented numbers.”
Shoot, that was actually Ted Lasso who said that. My B. Let’s try again.
Johnson on tying in the Preseason (Take Two)… “You just don’t know how to feel when it ends up being 24-24. It doesn’t matter, preseason or not, you go out there, they’re keeping score, and you’re playing to win. I’d say this, I think those guys did a phenomenal job going out there. The effort was there. The intensity was there throughout.”
Ben Johnson Speaks on Individual Bears Players
Johnson on Austin Booker’s impact… “He was a factor the entire game, just a menace. You really feed off of that, those negative plays like that. That’s obviously a huge thing in terms of ending drives, but also the offense sitting on the sideline, they see that, and they feel that, and that momentum carries over to the other side of the ball as well.”
After the game, I wrote about Austin Booker’s impact, along with the performance of linebacker Noah Sewell, who like Booker, is looking to play his way into a key depth role on the Bears defense.
Johnson on his trust level for rookies Colston Loveland, Luther Burden and Kyle Monangai… “Trust, that’s a strong word. I don’t know if I can say that yet for those three guys. We’re trending the right direction. I loved the look in their eyes pre-game. I’m happy with all three of those guys and where they’re headed, but that trust will take a little bit of time.”
Loveland only played the first two series of the game, but Monangai and Burden both stayed in the game longer and made plays that offer fans hope they’ll end up slotting into roles in the Bears offense right out of the gate.
Johnson on Luther Burden’s behind-the-scenes work… “He’s working his tail off behind the scenes. He’s with El (wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El) all the time. I see him at breakfast, he’s asking questions. I see him walking through, and he’s doing some extra stuff that maybe most don’t appreciate right now. Because of that, we’re starting to see the details tighten up on the field.”
Burden will eventually slot into the WR3 role for the Bears, but it’s comforting knowing that veteran wideout Olamide Zaccheaus has been one of the standouts of training camp and can hold down that role until Burden is fully acclimated.
Johnson on the performances of backup quarterbacks Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum… “I thought both of those guys operated at a high level. We’ve been having some ups and downs over the course of camp, operation, pre-snap penalties. We weren’t 100 percent, but we were pretty smooth.”
So, What’s the Plan for Caleb Williams?
Johnson on Caleb Williams’ pre-game work… “We had three receivers, a tight end and a running back, and we ended up probably getting 70-plus plays on air there… There is no substitute for real live bullets, I get that, but at the same time, when you can accumulate 70-plus reps in a day, that’s pretty good. That goes a long way in terms of where you want to go with the connection with the quarterback and his pass catchers.”
Earlier in the week, Johnson revealed his plan for Williams, and noted that the reps his second-year quarterback would be getting pre-game and during Friday’s joint practice with the Dolphins was more valuable than a series or two in the preseason opener.
Johnson on Caleb Williams potentially suiting up next weekend vs. Buffalo… “We’ll see what next week has in mind.”
What does that even mean, Coach? What does that mean!?
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