When Ben Johnson became head coach of the Chicago Bears, he accepted a monumental challenge. He was inheriting a team that had endured over a decade of near-constant losing. When that happens to an organization, it can be difficult to pull it out of the mud. Several men have already tried. John Fox failed. Matt Nagy failed. Matt Eberflus failed. Johnson is the latest in that line. He knew that he’d need to be hard on guys to accomplish such a goal. They had to understand that the status quo is what got them into this mess. Unless they were willing to work, the misery would continue. Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady understands that mindset.
After all, he experienced it for 20 years during his epic run with the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick was notorious for being harsh with players on everything. He didn’t care who you were, be it the star quarterback or third-string linebacker. If you didn’t do things correctly, expect an ass-chewing. Johnson is built the same way. He isn’t afraid to make every player uncomfortable. Brady believes that is the best path to getting better. A coach willing to get in the face of even the stars tells everybody else that accountability is limited to no one.
Tom Brady wanted Johnson for a reason.
It wasn’t just because the young coach is an offense wizard. There is a strong probability that the former quarterback had strong connections in league circles, telling him the type of coach Johnson was. Tom Brady knew immediately that was the kind of guy he wanted guiding the Las Vegas Raiders. It didn’t work out. Chicago closed the deal and got their man. Early signs suggest it was the right decision. Johnson has the Bears playing harder and smarter lately than at almost any time in the past decade. There is a long way to go. It took Belichick a year to drag the Patriots out of their mediocrity. Johnson deserves at least that long. Brady believes he is headed in the right direction, which is never a bad sign.
