If you haven’t noticed by now, the whispers are out there. Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson are trying to work through some ongoing issues in the Chicago Bears’ new offense. Nothing significant has happened yet to think there might be a change. However, people inside the league believe it is only a matter of time. Williams has plenty of talent and potential. The problem is that his style of play doesn’t mesh well with Johnson’s offense. He is at his best off-script, improvising big plays on the fly. Johnson’s offense is heavily schemed and requires the quarterback to stay on time and in rhythm. That is why some believe Tyson Bagent will eventually see the field.

He has demonstrated a greater ability to handle that classic style of playing from the pocket and distributing the football. However, it goes deeper than that. According to insider Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, Johnson is a big fan of Bagent, both for his natural feel for the position and the work he puts in.

Multiple sources tell me that Johnson loves backup quarterback Tyson Bagent, who signed a two-year contract extension at the end of camp in August. In a report I did on the Chicago Bears just a few weeks ago and before the extension was signed, I mentioned that people close to the organization said the backup quarterback looked better than Williams during camp on numerous occasions. Bagent does everything Johnson wants in his offense and, more than anything else, brings the structure the head coach demands when the Bears have the ball.

Sources tell me there is a good chance Bagent gets on the field this season if Williams does not consistently play at a high level, if nothing more than give the former first pick of the draft a chance to reset from the sidelines and watch what’s happening on the field.

The leash on Williams is short.

It feels like Johnson is just waiting for him to stumble. That might not be entirely the case, but it’s clear some frustration exists with the quarterback’s lack of progress. If Bagent could pick up the offense so quickly, why can’t Williams?

Tyson Bagent will get his opportunity for one of two reasons.

Technically, it’s three with Williams getting hurt, but that doesn’t mean much for the grander scale. The first possibility is that Caleb doesn’t play well. He remains mired around average and doesn’t take any clear step towards good or even competent. The offense remains stuck in the mud, still not clicking like it should. The other possibility is that the Bears keep losing. If they start the season 0-6 or 0-7, Johnson may reach a point where he feels something must be done to give the team a jolt.

Turning to Tyson Bagent would certainly qualify. At that point, there would be nothing left to lose, and the Bears would be out of the playoff picture. Switching quarterbacks to see if Bagent can get something going would provide some answers about what the team should do next offseason. This scenario won’t happen for a while. Smart money says to keep an eye on the end of October and beginning of November.

Losing has a way of revealing what an organization is truly made of. Some find unity in the struggle. Others crumble like treehouses in a wildfire. GM Ryan Poles has overseen one of the least successful stretches in Chicago Bears history. He is 15-38 at the time of writing this, with a losing streak of 14 games between 2022 and 2023, setting the franchise record. His roster has now lost 12 of its last 13, and whispers are leaking out of Halas Hall that plenty of people inside the building are not happy with him.

As the 2025 season already begins circling the drain after back-to-back losses against the NFC North, it appears many in the building are tired of paying for his mistakes. A source informed SM that Poles is under a ton of heat. Several notable people want him gone. They feel he’s done nothing to advance the interests of the franchise and has dodged responsibility for too long. His signing an extension earlier this summer should mean nothing. With everybody talking about accountability, it is time for Poles to take it.

Ryan Poles desperately needs a win.

The longer the Bears go without one, the hotter the spotlight gets. He can’t blame the quarterback or head coach anymore. Both were replaced in the past two offseasons. It hasn’t solved the problem. The Bears still look dangerously overmatched against good teams. They have zero star power outside Jaylon Johnson, which Ryan Poles didn’t even draft. None of his picks have made a single Pro Bowl.

Reports already indicate that he lost a good deal of authority in the building when Ben Johnson arrived. The head coach now calls the shots. He agreed to work with Poles moving forward, but time keeps showing this GM can’t be trusted in the evaluation process. People inside Halas Hall don’t feel he deserves to keep his job and are voicing it more and more.

Ryan Poles managed to avoid serious criticism through his first couple of years as the Chicago Bears‘ GM. However, there was always one pick people went back to when wondering if he had any clue what he was doing. It was when he selected Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones in the 3rd round of the 2022 draft. Many couldn’t make sense of it. Jones only had one year of significant production as a wide receiver; worse, he was already turning 25. Nothing about him suggested he was ready to take the leap. It didn’t help that possible offensive line solutions like Abraham Lucas and Bernard Raimann were still on the board. It hurts even more knowing the Lions got Kerby Joseph later in that same round. Jones had a forgettable run with the team. Most felt nobody would top him for head-scratching picks by Poles. Enter Kiran Amegadjie.

Once again in the 3rd round, the Bears took the left tackle out of Yale in 2024. Not only was this ahead of standout guard Dominick Puni, but also emerging receiver Troy Franklin. What made it worse was that Amegadjie nursed a quad injury that knocked him out for most of training camp. Poles defended the pick, believing the young tackle was worth the patience. One can imagine how red his cheeks got when Amegadjie went on IR this week with an elbow injury.

Kiran Amegadjie is a wasted pick.

There is no getting around that reality now. He missed most of the previous camp with a quad issue. Then, another injury hampered his progress this past August, dropping him out of the left tackle competition. Since then, Theo Benedet overtook him on the depth chart. Now he’s out for at least a month. To add insult to injury, he’s playing for a coaching staff with no hand in drafting him. There is a strong probability he may not be on the roster after this season. That means Poles will have sunk a valuable 3rd round pick into a player who gave them six games of work. People can argue Jones was a bad pick, but at least he brought some value as a kick returner. Kiran Amegadjie has done nothing. That makes him Poles’ worst pick by a mile.

The Chicago Bears face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, looking to avoid starting the season 0-3. Chicago’s defense is banged up and will be without CB Jaylon Johnson, LB T.J. Edwards, and CB Kyler Gordon. That likely means a shootout, putting pressure on Caleb Williams and the offense to keep pace with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys. With that in mind, here are five bold predictions for this must-win matchup.

Caleb Williams throws for 350+ yards

Williams has yet to break the 300-yard mark, but the Cowboys defense is ranked 29th by PFF, while the Bears defense sits at 30th. This feels like the perfect opportunity for him to break out.

Bears defense gives up 30+ points

With so many injuries in the secondary, it’s hard to trust Chicago’s defense. Expect Dallas to have a big day.

Braxton Jones doesn’t allow a sack

After a rough start to the season, Jones delivers a bounce-back performance and his cleanest game yet.

Ben Johnson dials up a trick play

This feels like the week the Bears finally connect on a trick play for a big gain—or even a touchdown.

Rome Odunze tops 100 yards again

Odunze continues his breakout campaign, recording back to back 100-yard games and solidifying his rise up the NFL’s wide receiver ranks.

Score Prediction: Cowboys 31 Bears 30

Chicago Bears vs Dallas Cowboys Preview & Predictions

The Chicago Bears have been trying to get the left tackle situation settled for almost two months. It was hoped that a competition held in training camp might provide clarity. Unfortunately, all it showed was that they lacked any definitive solution. Ozzy Trapilo wasn’t ready. Kiran Amegadjie can’t stay healthy. Theo Benedet has length issues. As a result, head coach Ben Johnson went with the safest option of keeping Braxton Jones in place as the starter.

That decision doesn’t seem to sit well. Johnson made it clear at his latest press conference that he’s not overly happy with Jones’ performance over the first two weeks of the season.

While understandable, it leads to the obvious question. What can Johnson do?

Here is where things get interesting. You’d have to follow the breadcrumbs a bit to get an idea of what he might be planning. Start with his comments about right tackle Darnell Wright, who’s off to a great start this season despite some penalty issues. Johnson admitted the former 1st round pick is a caliber of athlete you don’t see much.

Here is where it gets interesting. Johnson was also asked about the status of rookie Ozzy Trapilo. After a strong start to training camp, the 2nd round pick seemed to fade and was eventually removed from the left tackle competition. Johnson explained that the coaches felt he wasn’t quite ready yet. However, he’s made considerable strides since then and could see game action soon.

Is Ben Johnson planning to shift Darnell Wright to left tackle?

This is something people have speculated about off and on since he was drafted 10th overall in 2023. Most saw him as a pure right tackle coming into the NFL. However, he had enough athleticism to at least warrant a conversation about trying him on the left side. With how rough the situation is with Jones (13 pressures allowed in two games), Ben Johnson might be more open to the idea than ever.

The obvious holdup is that if the Bears do that, it opens a significant void on the right side. That is where the Trapilo comments come in. Johnson stated it looks like the rookie will see the field soon. The problem is where? He already lost to Jones in the left tackle battle. The only other spot is right tackle, which he played throughout most of college. He was never going to unseat Wright there.

That is, unless Wright were to move to the opposite side. It isn’t a perfect solution, but it might be their best. It puts Chicago’s best blocker at the most important spot on the offensive line and allows Trapilo to play his natural position.

One of the more puzzling decisions of the past month has been the one surrounding Ozzy Trapilo. At one point, it looked like the 2nd round pick was a legitimate threat to unseat Braxton Jones at left tackle. Then things shifted after the preseason opener against Miami. Trapilo was removed from the competition in favor of second-year man Theo Benedet, and it felt like things went quiet. Many grew concerned when Trapilo was left inactive for the game against Detroit last week. Some wonder if the Bears have already abandoned hope for him.

Head coach Ben Johnson made it clear that was not at all the case. It was simply that the coaches felt he wasn’t quite ready for what they needed from him. By the sound of it, they weren’t satisfied with his run-blocking and slower foot speed in pass protection.

“He’s getting better every day. I just made a comment to the O-line coaches this morning how much better he looks in the individual and some of the run stuff that we’re doing on Wednesdays in pads. He’s really showing up. So, he’s coming along. And there will be a point this season where he’s playing for us. Is that this week or a few weeks down the road? I don’t know, but he’s preparing as if he’s ready to go.”

It seems like the Bears didn’t want to rush Trapilo. While they love the talent and mental approach to the game, it comes down to preparation. Some rookies aren’t ready to step in right away, especially for someone switching positions like Trapilo.

The Bears feel they don’t have to rush with Ozzy Trapilo.

This isn’t a case like 2023, when it was obvious they needed help at tackle immediately. Darnell Wright was always going to play. That wasn’t the case this time. Johnson and offensive line coach Dan Roushar knew they had a veteran like Jones to lean on if necessary. It meant they could take their time until they were certain Ozzy Trapilo was ready for his opportunity.

Contrary to popular myth, this is often the preferred way to handle rookies. Let them learn the intricacies of the game in a more stable setting, like practice. Once it’s clear they’ve mastered the basics, take them off the leash. Top names like Jordan Mailata, Bernhard Raimann, and Dion Dawkins didn’t start immediately. They worked their way into the lineup. Trapilo is doing the same.

The Chicago Bears brought in a new coaching staff this offseason under Ben Johnson. Almost everything was changed from top to bottom. That is no surprise. It happens often in the NFL. There was a slight exception. Johnson made few changes to the training and strength staff. Andre Tucker, the head athletic trainer, was retained. Pierre Ngo was promoted from assistant strength and conditioning coach to lead strength coach. Those two decisions may have been somewhat ill-advised in retrospect.

Since the start of the season, the Bears have been plagued by injuries. That in itself can be blamed on the strength and training coaches. It’s football. Injuries happen. However, it’s more the type of injuries that raises questions. Six players were declared out for Sunday this week. Three of them (T.J. Edwards, Kyler Gordon, and Jaylon Jones) are out with hamstring injuries. Linebacker D’Marco Jackson is questionable with the same. That doesn’t include running back D’Andre Swift, who is nursing a quad issue.

These are soft tissue injuries. When they occur in abundance, they usually point to a flaw in the team’s physical preparation.

The Chicago Bears have seen this issue before.

In 2004, the team was hammered by injuries. Many of them were of the soft tissue variety. So the next offseason, head coach Lovie Smith fired strength coach Russ Riederer and brought in Rusty Jones from Buffalo. The effect was immediate. Injuries fell across the board. Players stayed on the field, and the team performed at a much higher level, winning the division. If the Chicago Bears want to make any headway moving forward, they must find a way to keep players on the field. That may require Johnson shaking up his strength and training staff with people who can combat the soft tissue problems. Remember, he didn’t hire either guy. He retained one and promoted the other. Going outside the organization might be best.