Absurd Bears decision dooms Ben Johnson before Year 1 even starts

It feels like forever ago when then–recently hired Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles emphatically took the stand in his opening presser, announcing to the world the Bears would “take the North and never give it back.”

Fast-forward three seasons and… well… three last-place finishes later, the NFC North surely doesn’t reside in Chicago. But if you’re up for interpretation, he might have been trying to say they’ll take last place in the North and never give it back, seeing as though that’s how things have been going.

This past offseason, inclined to get the most out of former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, the Bears stole former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson out of the Motor City in one of the most obvious heists in recent history. The hope was—is—that Johnson’s brilliant offensive mind would help unlock Williams and his uber-talented arm in the hopes Chicago becomes relevant once again. Well, that dream just got a lot more nightmarish.

Ryan Poles’ extension makes Ben Johnson’s job a whole lot harder

On Friday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Poles and the Bears have agreed to a five-year contract extension that sees his duties through 2029. No one person should be more uncertain about their future than recently hired head coach Ben Johnson.

Since taking over as GM in 2022, the Bears have gone 3-14, 7-10, and 5-12, for one of the most unremarkable 15-36 three-year stretches the league has ever witnessed. For context, perennial hot-seat Giants GM Joe Schoen has gone 18-32-1 and he’s on his last life in East Rutherford. So, this is objectively crazy.

It’s worth remembering this is the same front office that stuck with former head coach Matt Eberflus long past the point of diminishing returns, despite back-to-back seasons where the team looked completely out of sync. That leash lasted far longer than it should have. Now, Johnson steps into the same environment, under the same decision-maker, with the same problems still lingering beneath the surface.

It’s hard not to feel like this is the most Bears outcome possible. Johnson was supposed to be a breath of fresh air—the guy finally given the keys to modernize the offense and develop a No. 1 overall pick without interference.

But now he finds himself tied to a GM who’s spent the last three years chasing his own tail, squandering resources, and setting expectations he couldn’t meet. The Bears needed a reset. Instead, they doubled down. And if Johnson ends up failing, it’s fair to wonder how much of it was ever really in his control.

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