Ben Johnson Makes Troubling Admission About The Bears' Practices

Originally posted on The Spun | By Daniel Bates | Last updated Sep 17, 2025 3:06 PM ET

Fresh off of an 0-2 start going into this weekend's game vs. the Dallas Cowboys, Ben Johnson's team reportedly hasn't responded the way he had hoped.

The Bears got embarrassed by Johnson's former team on Sunday when Dan Campbell and the Lions hung 52 points on Chicago at Ford Field — scoring 28 unanswered at one point and throwing for a touchdown in the game's final minutes.

Johnson to this point has always been pretty upfront with where his team, and specifically his quarterback, have been since taking the job. And speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the Bears coach admitted that his roster's practice habits still aren't where he'd like them to be through three weeks.

Johnson calls out effort in practice

“Our practice habits are yet to reflect a championship-caliber team,” Johnson said, via ESPN.com's Courtney Cronin.

“We should be going to the football, finishing hard,” the HC explained. “We talk about it all the time with the offensive players that our fundamentals, our finish, and our technique, they need to show up in walk-through, they need to show up on the practice field. That’s how it shows up on game day."

"Simple things of how do we properly block? How do we catch the ball? How do we block after the catch? Ball security and things like that," he concluded. “It’s the little things that you learn in youth league football that even at this level, they make a huge difference.”

Bears HC brushes off Tom Brady concerns

During Wednesday's media session, Johnson also shared that he's not worried about this week's production meeting with FOX analyst/Raiders minority owner Tom Brady, who will be calling Chicago's game alongside Kevin Burkhardt for the network's "Game of the Week."

"I'm really not worried about it," Johnson admitted. "I mean, we change week to week in terms of what we do. Schematically, he's going to be able to turn on the tape and see what everyone else in the world is seeing right now."

"It's not like I'm going to sit down with him and say, 'Hey, don't do this to Caleb Williams, or you might get it!'" he added. "Like, there's not going to be any trade secrets that are going to be exchanged. But I really don't think it's that big of a deal, to be honest with you."

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 27: Tom Brady is seen on the field prior to a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Buffalo Bills at Lumen Field on October 27, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)Jane Gershovich/Getty Images

Many have expressed concern over Brady's simultaneous roles and how it could be a competitive advantage for the Silver and Black for one of their owners to have the kind of intel necessary for Tom to do his broadcasting job.

Johnson doesn't seem to be one of them though. And he's more concerned with how his team isn't getting after it on the practice field after digging themselves into an 0-2 hole in the loaded NFC North.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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