When the Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson, they didn’t just get one of the NFL’s most creative offensive minds — they got a head coach with a definite plan to toughen up the squad on both sides of the ball.
In just a few months on the job, Johnson’s fingerprints are all over Halas Hall, and the shift in culture has been impossible to miss.
Chicago desperately needed a reset after years of inconsistent leadership and underwhelming results. Under Matt Eberflus, the Bears trotted out baffling offenses and picked up uninspiring practice habits along the way. Enter Ben Johnson.
Heading into their first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins, the Bears have hosted joint practices against Miami, and things have gotten noticeably more physical. That could be a very good sign for Johnson moving forward.
Adam Hoge: Bears Physical Practices vs. Miami Dolphins ‘Good Sign’ for Ben Johnson
The Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly, who has covered sports for over 25 years, noted the Dolphins’ August 9 practice against the Bears was “without a doubt the most physical joint practice I’ve ever seen.”
Bears insider Adam Hoge of CHGO Sports, who has been present at camp, says what he has been seeing bodes very well for the Johnson-led Bears.
“I agree it was physical, but it was nothing compared to the Bears-on-Bears practice we witnessed on Tuesday,” Hoge replied to Kelly on X, adding: “Good sign for Ben Johnson IMO.”
“The Dolphins want to become tougher. The Bears showed them there’s still work to be done,” Kelly added in his August 9 article.
A details‑obsessed coach who appears to be the perfect blend of old-school toughness and new-school innovation, Johnson has been a breath of fresh air thus far. Now, he will need to lead the team to wins, or, at the very least, have the squad show marked improvement across the board.
Johnson’s track record as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator, where he presided over a top‑five scoring offense for three years straight and led the league in points scored in 2024, is a good one. Now, he faces a different challenge.
There Seems to Be a Method to Johnson’s Madness
GettyChicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is getting credit for bringing the physicality.
The toughness Johnson is bringing isn’t just for show — it’s a means to help mold the talent he has into a disciplined group of who play together — and for one another.
The regular season hasn’t begun, but the Bears appear more physical and relentless than in past years, and that’s a direct reflection of their new head coach.
Accountability has also become a cornerstone of Johnson’s early tenure. He’s made it clear that no player — no matter how high-profile — is exempt from criticism. Starting quarterback Caleb Williams, top wideout DJ Moore and other stars have all been on the receiving end of pointed feedback when they’ve done something Johnson doesn’t like. By holding his best players to the same expectations as everyone else, Johnson is building a culture where respect is earned every day, not inherited from previous performance.
His commitment to detail is also already paying dividends. Take the example of rookie wideout Luther Burden III, who was pulled aside by Johnson for alignment issues early in camp. Johnson’s blunt correction wasn’t just about calling the rookie WR out—it was about demanding improvement. The very next practice, Burden responded with one of his most dynamic sessions of the summer. lesson learned.
Again, we’re not even through the preseason. But as Hoge noted, when you have longtime analysts covering other teams discussing how physical the Bears have been, it feels like a very good sign indeed.
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