How Ben Johnson can end Chicago Bears ‘days in the dumps’

CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan put together a list of each team’s biggest reason for optimism this season, with Johnson’s arrival sparking the most excitement for the Bears.

“Arguably, the biggest addition throughout this entire offseason,” Sullivan writes for CBS. “Was the Chicago Bears landing Ben Johnson as head coach. In just his first offseason at the helm, you can already see his imprint on the roster with Chicago bolstering its offensive line and adding an array of weapons for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.

“Johnson has shown us during his days as the Lions’ offensive coordinator that he’s a tremendous play caller, and that is widely expected to translate to being a head coach. Chicago’s days in the dumps may be a thing of the past.”

Johnson was the most coveted head coaching candidate of this offseason, for a reason, and if he can elevate an offense that finished dead-last in the NFL while averaging just 284.6 yards and 18.2 points per game, it will go a long way towards altering the franchise’s trajectory and perhaps breaking the Bears’ postseason drought.

The pieces are in place for Williams to lead a renaissance, and if Johnson lives up to the lofty expectations that met him on arrival, the Bears could become a surprise contender this fall.