The Chicago Bears had multiple opportunities to boost their running game this offseason. They felt like the draft was their best bet, but they waited until the 7th round to grab one. That meant D’Andre Swift would have another year as the starter this season. Fans weren’t happy. The veteran averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, demonstrating a general lack of vision. Still, some gave him a pass because the blocking wasn’t always helpful. Maybe a new offense under Ben Johnson might change that.

According to new data, it should’ve. Advanced metrics indicate the Bears rank among the NFL’s best teams at generating YBC (yards before contact) at 1.89. That means a running back is getting almost two free yards without being touched. Yet Swift has averaged less than 60 yards rushing over his first two games. The Bears have the best YBC but the worst run success rate in the NFL. There is only one way that happens. It means the running back is failing to take advantage of his opportunities.

D’Andre Swift is a primary factor in why the Bears can’t run.

Nobody argues about his talent. The running back is an elite athlete who can do lots of exciting things. Unfortunately, he has too many throwaway plays to go along with his big ones. If he’s not churning out a 12-yard run or a 20-yard catch, he’s mostly giving you two or three-yard runs characterized by his inability to hit the right hole or break a tackle. This is precisely why fans begged the team to be more serious about finding a replacement. GM Ryan Poles deserves plenty of criticism for not making a more concerted effort. Now the Bears will have to find ways to fix the issue. Maybe they will give Kyle Monangai and Roschon Johnson more opportunities. Maybe they look to bring in a veteran from elsewhere. Either way, such inefficiency can’t continue if this offense is going to continue.

This usually isn’t something worth discussing so early in a season. However, after losing a game 52-21 and watching the best player on the team likely miss he rest of the year with an injury? It might be worth bringing it up. The Chicago Bears are already circling the draft. People can sense it. The mental fortitude of this roster is still bad, even after head coach Ben Johnson took over. It is beyond apparent that some serious changes are still needed. Those will come soon enough. However, in the midst of this realization, there is another problem.

Given where things stand, the Bears have a realistic chance to land a top-five pick in next year’s draft. They’re already 0-2. Looking at their remaining schedule, ten of their games will be against teams that already beat them this year, beat them last year, made the playoffs last year, or had a winning record last year.

• Washington
• Baltimore
• Cincinnati
• Minnesota
• Pittsburgh
• Philadelphia
• Green Bay
• San Francisco
• Detroit

If those games go as feared, the Bears are looking at a repeat of their 5-12 record from last season, maybe worse. That pretty much locks them into a top-five spot. The worst part? Unless something unexpected happens, GM Ryan Poles will likely make that pick.

The Chicago Bears need a change of direction in the worst way.

Poles is the architect of this roster. All of the players, save for a small handful, were handpicked by him. Losing 14 in a row between 2022 and 2023? Losing 12 of the last 13? Those ghastly numbers are on his head. Poles can’t hide behind the quarterback or the head coach anymore. He replaced both, and the team is still losing. It’s time to admit the roster is neither talented enough nor mentally tough enough to win in this league. Yet, the Chicago Bears’ ownership still saw fit to reward him with a contract extension.

Poles has held four top 10 picks in the past three drafts. Darnell Wright is a solid player, but the team passed on Jalen Carter, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Zay Flowers. All have already made the Pro Bowl. Taking Caleb Williams #1 over Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or even Bo Nix looks questionable. Colston Loveland has gotten little action in the offense so far this year.

Yet you want to entrust another precious draft selection to him? That is a recipe for more misery.

Ben Johnson made it clear he came here to win. Was he just naive to think it would be that easy? That seems unlikely. Johnson isn’t stupid. There is a strong likelihood he knew the challenge he faced when taking the Chicago Bears job. This team has endured almost nothing but losing for over a decade now. One doesn’t just fix that over the course of one offseason. There are deep-rooted issues with this organization. Many blame the leadership, or lack thereof, of GM Ryan Poles. Still, much of this comes back to the players.

Something is rotten in that locker room. Coaching alone doesn’t explain a team that always seems to wilt when the games get tough. The Bears were competitive in the first half for the second straight week, only to let minor setbacks spiral out of control. In this case, it went from a 21-14 deficit to 52-21. Johnson warned several players about their lack of effort, insinuating there could be changes to the starting lineup sooner rather than later. Tyler Dunne of Go Long reported after the game that people inside the NFL believe the head coach may have significant changes in mind in the near future.

This was a nightmare homecoming for Ben Johnson. But if there’s one silver lining, it’s that this head coach doesn’t owe a thing to anyone. Not the QB. Not anyone on defense. Not Poles. The gut feeling here is that the $13 million-dollar man has the power inside Halas Hall to fix this mess as he sees fit. Forget 40 times and measurables. The soul of this Bears team needs to completely change.

At least Johnson saw firsthand how it’s done.

The only problem is that he’ll need to toss that mop and invest in a wrecking ball.

Ben Johnson has the power needed to do this.

Many believe a key part of the Bears reeling him in as head coach was promising significant personnel authority. That means he can make sweeping changes if he wants. People will ask why he didn’t do this when he arrived. The answer is simple. He didn’t know what he had yet. Ben Johnson needed to spend time with the players already on the team, evaluating them on and off the field. It wasn’t until he saw them in action that he could get a proper gauge on whether they have the necessary traits he’s looking for. Multiple sources indicate he’s already getting a sense of who the weak links are.

If he is planning to take a flamethrower to this roster, we may see things start happening next month. The NFL trade deadline is at the end of October. If the losing continues, the Bears may start unloading some of their veteran pieces to free up future cap space and collect extra draft capital. It would be a good way of getting younger guys more opportunities and setting the tone for what’s next.

The Chicago Bears haven’t been great at finding good wide receivers in the draft. Actually, they’ve been terrible. Each of their previous two top 10 picks at the position, David Terrell and Kevin White, was a bust. That didn’t dissuade the team from taking their chances with Rome Odunze last year. They felt the Washington standout had a terrific mix of size, strength, speed, and route-running skills to become an instant contributor. As a rookie, he did, at least to a degree. He eclipsed 700 yards with three touchdowns. It wasn’t great, but it was a sign that Odunze could play in this league.

Things look even better to start 2025. Through two games, Odunze has 165 yards and three touchdowns. He is on track for 1400 yards, which would put him in the top five for best seasons in Bears history. It gets even better once you dig into the advanced stats. Dataroma and Matt Harmon of Yahoo believe the signs are growing that Odunze is morphing into a true #1 wide receiver. His talent is blossoming, and the new coaching staff is using him in all the right ways. Never mind his obvious connection with Caleb Williams.

The terrifying part is the Chicago Bears haven’t seen him lock in yet.

Odunze had two unfortunate drops in that game against Detroit, where he finished with 128 yards and two touchdowns. The Chicago Bears are about to face a Dallas Cowboys defense this Sunday that is 29th in the NFL against the pass. Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson scorched them for 309 yards combined. If their pass rush can’t unsettle Williams, Odunze may pop off for even more than last week.

More than anything else, it’s a relief to see the young receiver developing into what many expected him to be. He’s a true go-to guy. Once he gets the drops issue under control, he will be somebody opponents must game plan for. Together with Williams’ steady progress, the Bears’ offense may finally have something cooking. The points should come in bunches if they can find any semblance of a running game.

Ryan Poles was an offensive lineman when he played football. One would think that would give him the necessary expertise to find good blockers. Ozzie Newsome, a Hall of Fame tight end, drafted Todd Heap and Mark Andrews. John Lynch, a Hall of Fame safety, drafted Talanoa Hufanga. Martin Mayhew won a Super Bowl as a cornerback, then drafted Darius Slay. Yet all the evidence to this point suggests Poles has a baffling blind spot when it comes to offensive linemen. None showcases this more than Kiran Amegadjie.

It was a surprise when the Bears took the left tackle out of Yale in 2024. Not only was he coming from a smaller conference with lesser competition, but he also nursed a quad injury. Poles insisted Amegadjie had the kind of traits that could be developed into something special. The fans were skeptical. They felt the Bears should’ve gone in other directions. Apparently, even people inside Halas Hall felt the same. Tyler Dunne of Go Long revealed some Bears staff saw Amegadjie as a wasted pick.

Two years later, the Bears took a swing on 6-foot-5, 323-pound Kiran Amegadjie in the third round. Chicago’s area scout, Tom Bradway, had a very high grade on the Yale tackle and Poles bought in. The GM slotted Amegadjie at the top of a Day 2 stack. Others on the staff saw a UDFA because a.) the competition in the Ivy League was subpar and b.) the tape wasn’t exactly dominant. He had size and athleticism but didn’t push people around. “What is he going to do against NFL players?” one scout asked. “When he has to face real rushers with strength, length and power that can bend? That are violent?”

Ryan Poles’ reputation is circling the drain.

He already had little credibility coming into the season. Amegadjie missed another chunk of training camp with an injury setback, got moved to guard, and was declared a healthy scratch last week against Detroit. Barring something unexpected, it looks like the former 3rd round pick will never see the field in any meaningful capacity for the Bears. That falls directly at the feet of Ryan Poles. He is the one who lets a single scout shape his perception of a player rather than gather the opinions of everybody. As a result, he wasted a valuable draft pick that could’ve helped the team improve. Stories like this about Poles are popping up more and more these days. If this season spirals, one has to wonder how the franchise can justify keeping him around.

When you lose 52-21, there is no explaining things away. That is a colossal beatdown. Head coach Ben Johnson called it a “kick in the teeth.” That pretty much describes it. Needless to say, he wasn’t happy. Too much about that game leaves a sour taste in the mouth. It wasn’t just that the Detroit Lions were at home and had a better roster. There was a clear effort problem in some areas. Guys seemed to wilt as the game got tough. Detroit smelled blood and went for the kill. Johnson didn’t mind that. He expected it.

His biggest issue was with his own players. The head coach took time to review the game tape, trying to decipher what happened. He came away with some serious clarity. During his Monday press conference, Johnson made his intentions clear.

“We’re going to have a lot more competition. Just what these guys look like when the ball is not in their hands, that’s a big deal for us. There were some plays yesterday that we weren’t quite as pleased with what that looked like on tape. So, we’re going to find out this week at practice who wants to practice hard and who wants to be a little bit more involved with the game plan here going into Sunday.”

In other words, every starter on the field was just put on notice. Their jobs are on the line this week. He doesn’t care what your status may be. Once you give up 52 points and lose by 31, nobody has any right to feel safe in that locker room anymore.

Ben Johnson needs to put his money where his mouth is.

It’s one thing to promise a shakeup. It is another thing to follow through on it. If the Bears trot out the same lineup next Sunday against Dallas, people will find it difficult to take him at his word. Plenty of names on that field in Detroit might need time on the bench. Braxton Jones comes to mind. The left tackle has allowed 13 pressures in two games. A week after running for only 3.1 yards per carry, D'Andre Swift had a brutal fumble in this game. Tyrique Stevenson was victimized in coverage again. Cole Kmet wasn’t a big enough factor at tight end. Ben Johnson should start getting some of the young guys, like Colston Loveland, Kyle Monangai, and Shemar Turner, more involved. They all have tons to prove and don’t have the stink of the past few seasons hanging over them. It certainly can’t get much worse than things already are.

The Chicago Bears are a mess. They’re 0-2, riddled with defensive injuries, and have already allowed 79 points through two games. Confidence in the defense is fading fast with CB Jaylon Johnson likely out for the season after aggravating his pre–training camp injury.

That puts GM Ryan Poles under heavy scrutiny. Not necessarily from ownership—he was recently extended to align with Ben Johnson’s timeline—but from fans and media who are rightfully frustrated.

Sunday’s game was a glaring reminder of the Bears draft struggles, with multiple 2025 picks nowhere to be found:

Ozzy Trapilo: Healthy scratch

Colston Loveland: 0 receptions

Luther Burden III: 0 receptions

Shemar Turner: Healthy scratch

When you add in Poles other misses, the big picture looks bleak. Since taking over, Poles has drafted 34 players and not a single one has made a Pro Bowl—making him the only GM in franchise history with that distinction. His record isn’t much better: 3-17 against the division and 15-38 overall. He’s making Ryan Pace look like Howie Roseman.

Starting 0-2 may push Poles toward desperation. If he wanted to make a bold move, he could consider shopping a star player or two. For example, trading DJ Moore would create more opportunities for Luther Burden while helping Caleb Williams build chemistry with him. With Rome Odunze already looking like WR1, that’s not as far-fetched as it sounds.

Even moving Cole Kmet could make sense, opening the door for Loveland to get more targets. Still, Ben Johnson prefers 12 personnel, and Loveland didn’t see a single target against Detroit.

If I were Poles, I’d at least explore moving a veteran for badly needed cornerback help—or future draft capital.