Ben Johnson was a first-time head coach when he took over the Chicago Bears. In such circumstances, the common decision for such young guys is to surround themselves with more experienced assistants. That is what happened at defensive coordinator. Johnson brought in Dennis Allen, a two-time head coach with over a decade of experience. However, things took a turn when he hired Declan Doyle as the offensive coordinator. The 29-year-old is the definition of a young up-and-comer. He has limited experience and is nine years younger than Johnson. Why hire him for such an important job?

We first got answers to that right after the hiring. Doyle had a reputation for being smart and innovative. He had ideas that helped enhance a scheme. Johnson, always the mad scientist, wanted somebody like that on his staff. Over time, we’ve learned there might’ve been another important reason. One thing about Johnson is for all his offensive genius, there was one void in his resume. He’d never developed a quarterback in his career. He’s worked almost exclusively with veterans throughout his career, such as Ryan Tannehill, Matthew Stafford, and Jared Goff. That meant Caleb Williams presented a challenge he wasn’t familiar with. According to Adam Jahns of CHGO, that is where Doyle came in.

It was an important lesson to learn for a young coach. A different process played out last year in Denver after the Broncos drafted Bo Nix with the 12th pick. Payton took over the team in 2023 and brought Doyle in as his tight ends coach.

“We taught Bo the overall system,” Doyle said, “and then we did a good job of shaping it to Bo and bringing things that maybe he had done at Oregon or things that he had done in the past he was comfortable with.”

If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s what the Bears have done with Williams.

“It was very similar to how we handled Caleb,” Doyle said. “Give him everything and then as you figure out what they’re good at, let’s narrow it down and reshape it during the season of, ‘Alright, this is who we are, this is what we’re going to do.’”

Declan Doyle watched how Denver handled Bo Nix last year.

That was such a vital lesson for the young coach. It gave him insight into how one of the best in the business handled it. Sean Payton isn’t destined for the Hall of Fame by accident. The man understands how to cultivate the quarterback position better than most. Declan Doyle brought those experiences with him, as Johnson knew he would. Once the head coach understood the challenges of handling a young quarterback, he finally had a developmental plan in place. The early results are promising. Williams looked sharp for the most part in the preseason. He still has kinks to iron out, as expected. Nix was up and down through the first seven games of last season. Right around midseason was when things started clicking. One can safely assume it’ll be something similar for Williams.

The Chicago Bears have some notable contract questions to answer in the coming months. It likely starts with Jaquan Brisker. The safety is such a big part of their defense, but he’s been hounded by injury issues since being drafted. This season is his last under contract. If he can stay healthy, he may get the extension he craves. Darnell Wright is another name that hasn’t been mentioned yet, but probably will be in the coming months. The former 1st round pick enters his third season with the team. That is usually when organizations start thinking about extension. GM Ryan Poles has a habit of striking early, hoping to stay ahead of the market.

That leads to the obvious question. How much will it cost to get the job done? Wright has been the Bears’ best offensive lineman since he was drafted. Considering how uncertain left tackle is for them, locking him down for the future is only logical. Now we may have gotten a hint as to what it will take. Brett Kollman revealed an important metric that revealed how good Wright has been. It came right after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers extended their own right tackle, Luke Goedeke, at $22.5 million per year.

It appears that is the ballpark the Bears will shoot for.

Darnell Wright would crack the top five for highest-paid at that number.

Right now, Goedeke is the fourth-highest-paid right tackle in the NFL. We will presume Wright gets $23 million per year, which would put him in that spot. He’d be behind Philadelphia Eagles legend Lane Johnson ($25 million per year), which feels appropriate. Of course, Darnell Wright still has to prove it on the field. He has a new coaching staff running the show. Their standards are significantly higher than the previous one. Wright has dealt with pre-snap issues in training camp. He’ll have to get those cleaned up if he wants to earn their trust. This isn’t the time to relax. Don’t forget the Bears drafted Ozzy Trapilo in the 2nd round. He was a great right tackle at Boston College. They may decide to keep their money if they sense that Wright isn’t playing his best football.

Any GM worth his salt knows he can’t express outward weakness to the cameras. They must maintain a sturdy front, even if their team might be going through a crisis. Ryan Poles would know. He’s endured his fair share of issues since taking over the Chicago Bears in 2022. This year feels like the first time he has been able to breathe without constant sleepless nights. Ben Johnson has installed a clear vision for the team as head coach. Caleb Williams looks more settled at quarterback, and the offensive skill positions are deeper than anybody has seen in years.

Even the offensive line is looking much better. Left guard Joe Thuney, center Drew Dalman, and right guard Jonah Jackson have instilled much-needed stability and confidence in a unit that has struggled for years. Confidence is also high in right tackle Darnell Wright despite some pre-snap issues in training camp. However, one spot has Poles uneasy: the left tackle. Cameras caught the GM speaking with former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett during the joint practice with Buffalo on 1920 Football Drive. Poles stated he loves where the offensive line is, but admitted the left tackle situation is a problem.

Ryan Poles admitting that to an outsider is no small thing.

Normally, he gives little away when speaking to people, knowing he might be on camera. That statement tells you how present the issue is in his mind. There is no hiding from it. The Bears hoped they’d have a solution at left tackle by now. Unfortunately, problems keep getting in the way. Braxton Jones hasn’t fully recovered from his broken leg last year. Kiran Amegadjie didn’t take a big enough step forward thanks to an injury setback in training camp. Ozzy Trapilo struggled to make the transition from right tackle quickly enough. Theo Benedet made a late charge, but he has length concerns. Ryan Poles has no clear solution to the problem. One isn’t likely to surface until at least next offseason. Until then, he may have to sweat it out, hoping somebody seizes the reins.

Ben Johnson knew the hardest part of his job as head coach was finding ways to get his players’ attention. It isn’t about whether they like him or not—that is immaterial in professional sports—it’s about respecting him and what he asks them to do. If a coach can’t make that happen, he is in big trouble. Johnson has demonstrated early on for the Chicago Bears that he had no problem convincing the locker room to heed his words. Rome Odunze talked about it during his appearance on the St. Brown podcast this week.

He was asked about the difference in culture he’s noticed between Johnson and former head coach Matt Eberflus. The wide receiver admitted that Johnson is uncompromising in his message. He expects things to be done a certain way. If you aren’t willing to do so, don’t expect to be on the roster for long.

There is no hiding the message there. Johnson was essentially stating that he had no qualms about getting rid of guys if they weren’t willing to do what was asked of them, whether they were a high draft choice or expensive free agent. Plenty of coaches have used this tactic. Among the more notable was Hall of Famer Bill Walsh. The stories about his warnings to players when they arrived in San Francisco are legendary.

Rome Odunze didn’t miss the message.

He knows the honeymoon period is over. Last year came with limited criticism because he was a rookie and in a tough coaching situation. Not anymore. He’s a true professional now. As a former top 10 pick, there are certain expectations for him this year. If he doesn’t make some sort of progress, it will ramp up the pressure and leave people questioning his role in the offense. Johnson wants players he can trust. Odunze has tremendous talent, but he’s also struggled with drops throughout the summer. You can bet the head coach is fully aware of that. If the problem persists, Odunze knows his opportunities will diminish as the team looks for more reliable options. The same threat hangs over everybody else’s heads in the locker room. Do your job or they’ll find somebody who can.

Nobody knows what to expect from the Chicago Bears’ offense this season. The default setting has always been low, resulting from literal decades of watching mediocre-to-bad play from that side of the ball. However, something is different this year. Maybe not hope just yet, but definitely intrigue. Ben Johnson takes over as head coach. He brings with him a track record of glittering success in Detroit, capped by a season in 2024 where his offense scored 564 points. Bears fans can only dream of something like that. Maybe Johnson is the one accomplished enough to get this franchise out of the mud.

Still, the fear lingers on. It feels like something always goes wrong. Johnson is no stranger to such concerns. He admitted to the media that he has fears of his own about the offense. Nobody would blame him. Maybe it has to do with the progress of Caleb Williams, who has so much information to digest in this system. Or perhaps it’s the offensive line, which still doesn’t have a definitive left tackle. Nope. His problem is much worse.

He doesn’t know how he will get the ball to all of the team’s weapons.

“That’s what keeps me up at night, is making sure all of our horses are fed. … They’re super talented players and they can make big things happen.”

Ben Johnson knows he has a wealth of options, but also personalities.

Everybody wants the ball. That is the nature of playing an offensive skill position. Having an array of guys like D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luther Burden, Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, and D’Andre Swift presents a serious challenge. There is only one football. How does he spread it around enough to keep everybody happy? Ben Johnson has some experience with this. Five Lions offensive players had at least 60 touches last season. The year before, seven players had at least 40 touches. Johnson understands how to distribute the ball. It comes down to whether he does it in the right doses. Certain guys may want the ball more than others. Moore and Odunze, for example, are used to being primary targets. Meanwhile, Kmet and Loveland have shown they don’t mind making team-oriented sacrifices. Johnson may lean into that when necessary.