Offseason decision by Ben Johnson, Bears gets high praise from NFL writer

Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears had a strong 2025 season but fell out of the playoffs in mid-January after a heartbreaking 20-17 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.

Still, this team has no reason to cry. The Bears ended the season at No. 1 in the NFC North and are suddenly contenders in the league after years of being at the bottom of the food chain.

Following that loss to the Rams, Johnson immediately started to get to work on next season. Now, one of his moves is drawing high praise from a prominent NFL writer.

Chicago Bears get praise before 2026 NFL season

In a recent piece, Mike Sando of The Athletic ranks his favorite moves for each NFL team during the offseason. For the Bears, he praises them for getting a second-round selection for receiver DJ Moore.

"Moore's per-game receiving yardage peaked at a career-best 80.2 in 2023, his first year with Chicago," he notes in the piece. "That fell to 56.8 the next season and to a career-low 40.1 under new coach Ben Johnson last season."

He adds: "It was clear where Moore was trending in Chicago after signing a four-year, $110 million extension in 2024. Getting second-round value from Buffalo in return seemed strong."

The Moore trade with the Buffalo Bills was one of the biggest offseason moves for Chicago, and Johnson is banking on it to help the franchise move forward. At this point, the Bears would be wise to trust Johnson's instincts, because he's already done incredible things in Chicago.