You don’t have to ask about what Chicago Bears fans think of Ben Johnson. After what happened last season, you could say the head coach walks on water, and some might believe you. The truth is, Johnson delivered on everything that was promised in 2025. He turned around Caleb Williams, elevated the Bears’ offense, won 11 games, claimed the division crown, and won a playoff game. Oh, and he beat the Green Bay Packers twice in one season. That hadn’t happened since 2007. Johnson is the new king of Chicago right now, and justifiably so.
Still, one can imagine opinions on him are far more measured inside the NFL itself. It’s one season. While he had success, there is still a long way to go before he earns a big reputation, right? Nope. According to Robert Mays of The Athletic Football Show, several coaches in the league see Johnson not only as one of the best already, but also as destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. One who worked with him went so far as to say that he’ll probably end up being one of the best of all time.
Ben Johnson himself believes this, too.
Recently, a story surfaced from former Miami Dolphins Leontee Carroo, who said Johnson once told Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry he wasn’t striving hard enough for greatness. He was already a good player, but if he wanted to be great, he had to work harder. Doesn’t he want to be a Hall of Famer? After all, Johnson said openly that he expects to end up in Canton when his career is over. That should tell you how self-confident and driven the Bears’ head coach is. He doesn’t feel lucky to be where he is. He expected it, and now he is moving into the next phase of that mission.
Win lots of football games.
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Johnson carries the same mentality as Michael Jordan did as a player. Basically, either match his level of commitment or get the hell out of his way. It made him a tough and demanding leader, which teammates sometimes resented. Jordan didn’t care. He knew the sacrifices needed to be a champion. Johnson is the same way. He warned players to get comfortable being uncomfortable. His job isn’t to make their lives easy. It is to win games, which means demanding a lot from them as well as from himself.
Johnson has two paths to this achievement.
He must either revolutionize the NFL in some fashion, changing the game in ways that force other teams to copy him. Don Coryell did that with his innovative passing offenses. George Allen invented the nickel defense of bringing in a fifth defensive back in passing situations. Or he must win. A lot. Historically, it takes at least one championship victory and a winning percentage above .600 to meet the minimum criteria. Hall of Fame coaches have averaged a .630 winning percentage across NFL history.
Only two men in Bears history have sustained a rate of success that high across a decade or longer in Chicago. One was George Halas, and the other was Mike Ditka. Halas was a founder of the league. Ditka coached one of the greatest teams in NFL history. That is the bar Ben Johnson must reach if he wants to fulfill the expectations of both himself and his peers. He’s off to a good start in the wins department. Time will tell if he can make headway on the rings or innovation fronts.
