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Chicago Bears named one of NFL's breakout offenses to watch in 2025

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 3:02 PM ET

The swell of excitement around the Chicago Bears and the potential that new coach Ben Johnson is bringing to an offense led by second-year QB Caleb Williams gr.

Sure, there was a high level of excitement last year this time, but the fact that Matt Eberflus was retained by GM Ryan Poles tempered some of it. The fear that Eberflus would find a way to 'Flus the season always lingered, and, eventually, turned into reality.

The Bears finished the season 5-12, Eberflus was fired mid-year, and Chicago was flipped on its head.

So, yeah, Johnson's presence has ratcheted up the excitement to an 11, and he has analysts buying in, too.

The Chicago Bears were recently ranked among six teams with offenses poised to breakout in 2025.

"There was much optimism for the Bears’ offense and Caleb Williams entering last season, but the offensive line didn’t perform and former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was fired midseason," The Athletic's Ted Nguyen wrote. "A bad offensive line and a failed play caller are a lot for any rookie quarterback to overcome. This season, the Bears hired one of the best play callers in the league in Ben Johnson as head coach and fortified the offensive line by completely revamping their interior."

As is the case for every NFL team, the success or failure of the Bears' offense will come down to the quarterback. In this case, it's the first overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft who, despite having a quality rookie season, must take a significant step forward in 2025 to make good on breakout projections like The Athletic's.

"Johnson emphasized to Williams in OTAs the importance of quickly making his progressions and getting rid of the ball," Nguyen added. "Johnson got in Williams’ face for being late on a throw and explained what happened to the media after practice. How Williams responds to this type of coaching will determine whether the Bears’ offense is ready to break out."

The early returns on Williams and Johnson's relationship have been positive, so far. Johnsons has gone out of his way to praise Williams' work ethic and coachability, both of which will be required in spades as he adjusts to a coach who takes a more hardlined approach.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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