In 2018, then-Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy knew he needed a message for the team to embrace. It should be something simple that conveys what it would take to become a championship-caliber team. He eventually settled on two simple words: Be obsessed. If you want to win in this league, you must be obsessed with being the best at everything you do. It certainly had the desired effect. The Bears came out hot that season en route to a 12-4 record and won the division. Seven years later, Ben Johnson knows he’d have to do something similar.
It appears he found the tagline he was looking for. The Bears’ social media team revealed it in a recent Twitter (X) post. As before, it’s simple and impossible to misinterpret.
This falls directly in line with what Johnson has preached since he arrived. In his mind, there is nothing that is worth doing in life unless it’s hard. That includes winning games in the NFL. If the Bears really want to become a great team, they need to stop listening to what everybody says about them and focus on the work.
Ben Johnson is already giving players a taste of what’s to come.
Caleb Williams revealed that the Bears head coach ambushed the quarterbacks with a surprise pop quiz on the second day of voluntary workouts. The message was clear: They better do their homework if they want to master this offense. It is a safe assumption that a similar approach will be taken across the roster. Eric Bieniemy, Antwaan Randle-El, and Al Harris are all coaches with established reputations for being demanding. They aren’t afraid to drive players hard, whether they like it or not. That is exactly what Ben Johnson wanted. Making players uncomfortable tends to bring the best out of them. It is a common paradox of professional sports. For the head coach of the Bears to finally understand this reality is the most encouraging of all.
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