How Ben Johnson will make Bears better

The Chicago Bears are already starting to look like a better football team with Ben Johnson as the head coach, and he hasn’t had that much time to make an impact yet.

The coaching staff is starting to come together, which was step one for Johnson as he gets his feet wet in the organization. Once the Super Bowl is over, the team will look to begin their big offseason ahead, which should include some roster reconstruction.

It won’t all be about adding players, either. There are other ways that Johnson can help improve this team. These are the three most important:

1. Develop Caleb Williams

Quarterback Caleb Williams is the most important player on this team. If they develop him to his full potential, they will become a perennial playoff contender. You see the other top quarterbacks around the league make the playoffs by accident each year.

Only one team wins the Super Bowl each year, but we know which of them have a legit chance in any given year. If Johnson can develop Williams into one of those consistent quarterbacks, and all signs suggest that he can, the Bears will be in a great spot.

2. Elevate Cole Kmet

Cole Kmet is a fantastic talent. The former Notre Dame tight end has been good in the NFL but hasn’t yet taken a step toward being a high-end offensive producer. Most of that is because of lackluster quarterback play, but he took a step back in 2024 simply because of bad coaching.

Offensive coordinators Shane Waldron and Thomas Brown didn’t feature Kmet in the offense nearly enough. He wasn’t getting enough snaps let alone targets. The tools are there for him to be a go-to option for Williams, and Johnson has the offensive brain to get him more involved.

Kmet doesn’t have to be Rob Gronkowski or Travis Kelce in their prime, but he can certainly be a tick below those guys. If this team gets their stud tight end going, the offense will be even more dynamic. Much like the high-end quarterbacks in the NFL, you usually see the top tight ends standing in the playoffs, as well.

3. Develop great chemistry with Dennis Allen

Johnson hired Dennis Allen to be the new defensive coordinator, which was one of his most important hires. This is going to be Johnson’s first ever job as an NFL head coach, so he will be overseeing all aspects of the football team. But in hiring an experienced defensive coordinator in Allen, Johnson has someone who he can hand the reins over to.

Allen has been a brilliant defensive mind in the past, and the Bears are hoping that it continues in Chicago. With Johnson mostly focusing on calling plays, having great chemistry with Allen will be very important because having a great offense won’t matter if they can’t stop the other team.

Adding players is going to be important for this organization, as there is a plethora of needs. Whether it be the offensive line, the defensive line or a running back, there are tons of holes to be filled. None of them will matter if these three things with what they already have aren’t addressed.