INDIANAPOLIS — Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson stepped up to the lectern at the combine for the first time Tuesday. Unlike other new head coaches, he didn’t have to field questions about who his quarterback will be, just what his plan is.
That begins in person in less than two months when the Bears’ voluntary OTAs take place before the draft. Johnson’s goal with Caleb Williams — and the rest of the team — is to “go back to the basics.”
“We’re going to break it down to the studs and work to develop it from there,” he said.
What will that look like for the second-year quarterback?
“It’s as simple as the procedure of the huddle, breaking the huddle, using cadence, motions, shifts, all those things that can help attack a defense that we feel like can take another step here in Chicago,” Johnson said. “That will be the starting point. We will look to build around him as well with the talent level and the rest of the support staff.”
As Johnson embarks on a week of interviewing college prospects and forming plans for free agency, he knows who his quarterback is — sometimes that’s half the battle in the NFL.
Here are five takeaways from our conversation with Johnson as well as general manager Ryan Poles, beginning under center.
1. New era of quarterbacks
When a coach lauds a quarterback’s ability to make plays off-schedule, that’s not always the best compliment. Bears fans have seen those players before. But Johnson views that attribute for Williams as one that fits where the game is going.
“(Bears offensive coordinator) Declan (Doyle) mentioned it when he got interviewed a few weeks ago: the out-of-structure, the off-schedule, the creation. That’s what stands out the most because that’s really the way this league’s going right now, it seems like,” Johnson said. “As much as you want to make it pure progression, one to two to three, there’s just too much variety: The pass rush’s coming down, and to have an athlete like Caleb extend the play and potentially find an explosive down the field, that’s what gets me going a little bit.
“I get excited thinking about that because I haven’t really been around that since I’ve been in the league. But I’ve been on the other side, and I have experienced it, and it’s demoralizing when you’re on the other side, and you’re watching that happen to your defense.”
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Johnson was with Ryan Tannehill and Jay Cutler in Miami, two mobile quarterbacks but not in the way Williams is, and then he had Jared Goff in Detroit.
The ideal coach harnesses a player’s rare trait to get production. Johnson isn’t afraid to get the most out of Williams’ ability to create. Instead of trying to force Williams to be a pocket passer, which is something Williams worked to do more than one would think last season, Johnson knows how rare Williams’ abilities are when he escapes the pass rush. It’s not something that can be done every play, but Johnson should help scheme up more explosive plays to pair with Williams’ Houdini acts.
A reunion with Ben Johnson could be just what the doctor ordered for Bears running back D’Andre Swift. (Marc Lebryk / Imagn Images)
2. Will Johnson be a ‘Swiftie’?
In 2024, the Bears ranked 25th in rushing offense. The Lions ranked sixth. D’Andre Swift averaged 3.8 yards per carry. In Detroit, Jahmyr Gibbs had a clip of 5.6 yards, and David Montgomery’s rushing average was 4.2.
What does Johnson envision for Swift, the Bears’ high-priced running back?
“I was with Swifty when we first drafted him in Detroit a number of years ago, and I followed his career even after he left Detroit and think very highly of him,” Johnson said. “He’s an explosive athlete. There’s a number of things that he can do both in the running game and in the passing game. I do think he can help ignite an offense because he’s got that playmaking ability, so it’ll be fun to start to work together again here this springtime with him.”
It seems like the Bears will be keeping Swift if we’re to take Johnson at his word. Swift’s exact role, and expected usage, will be determined by free agency and the draft.
To get a sense, we can go to 2022, Johnson’s first year as Detroit’s offensive coordinator. Swift had a career-high rushing average (5.5 yards) and was targeted 70 times, the second-highest total of his career.
Maybe Swift won’t be the workhorse that his contract suggests, but it seems like he’ll still be an important part of the offense.
3. Bringing play-action to Chicago
Among the many differences between the 2024 Bears’ and Lions’ offenses was the use of the play-action passing game. Detroit had the most play-action passes in football, according to Next Gen Stats. The Bears ranked 29th.
2024 play-action stats
| Team | Attempts | Comp. % | YPA | Passer rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
207 |
73.4 |
9.6 |
115.8 |
|
|
95 |
62.1 |
8.3 |
93.8 |
“I think it all starts with what your line up front can do, what your backs do well, and you take it from there,” Johnson said.
It figures to be something the Bears implement more often, and Johnson will lean on his offensive coaches to help craft it efficiently. He mentioned running backs coach Eric Bieniemy’s experience with the shotgun-run game in Kansas City, Doyle’s success under Sean Payton and pass game coordinator Press Taylor’s experience with Chip Kelly.
“And so, we’ve got a lot (in the) library, if you will, to draw from, and we’ll see it all come together once we get our hands on these guys,” Johnson said.
4. Veterans released: Why and what’s next?
Poles discussed the team’s decision Friday to release veterans Gerald Everett and DeMarcus Walker.
“Anytime you sort of have gray in terms of fit with the scheme change and their contract situation, I think giving them the opportunity, giving their representation the opportunity to come to the combine and get their names out there, they can get a good seat at the table with a team before all the seats are taken,” Poles said.
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Everett, the No. 2 tight end who had only eight catches last season, was a top candidate to be cut. Walker, who tied a career high with 16 QB hits last season, might’ve been a surprising release, creating a need opposite Montez Sweat. The moves combined to create $10.5 million in cap space.
Reading the tea leaves from Poles, Walker wasn’t the ideal scheme fit for coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense — at least not at his age on his contract. But the cut is a reminder that the Bears have work to do at defensive end over the next two months.
5. The right coach for the tight ends
The decision to move on from Everett was coming but highlighted the fact that the Bears will, once again, be on the lookout for a tight end, a position that has been productive in Johnson’s offense.
“He is going to put those guys in a position to be successful, and usually with a young quarterback, tight ends are able to have a lot of production,” Poles said. “So making sure those guys are lined up, have the chemistry, seeing things the same way … that should be able to take off pretty good.”
This is something the Bears had in 2022 and ’23 with Cole Kmet being one of Justin Fields’ top targets, then it fell off precipitously in ’24. Poles knows that Johnson’s scheme alone can help give the Bears more production at tight end — now it’s about finding one.
(Top photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
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