Don’t let anybody tell you that general managers don’t plan ahead regarding the draft. They always have a keen eye on which players are coming down the pipeline one or two years in the future. Late Boston Celtic legend Red Auerbach was famous for it. He drafted Larry Bird a year before he actually turned pro. Then he admitted he schemed to draft Maryland superstar Len Bias for three years. You could argue GM Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears planned ahead when they swung that blockbuster trade with Carolina in 2023, believing they had a good shot at a much better quarterback in the 2024 class with the Panthers’ 1st round pick. It turned into Caleb Williams.

The 2026 draft is still many months away. Chicago is focused on winning actual games this season and breaking its six-year losing streak. However, Poles is already focused on the next phase of building his roster. He and his scouts were back on the trail this week, attending several games. They were out in force at the Texas-Ohio State matchup. It turns out there was a good reason for this. According to a source, they wanted to see a player they are “absolutely in love with.”

That is Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs.

The Chicago Bears know they have a safety issue looming.

Both Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker are free agents next offseason. It is still possible the Brisker could be extended, but there is a strong possibility that at least one of them is gone. The Chicago Bears need a plan to find a replacement in such an event. Landing Downs would be the equivalent of hitting a grand slam in their eyes. Many experts see Ohio State’s safety as the best overall prospect in the class, comparing him to Eric Berry and Ed Reed. It has been years since the Bears have had anybody of that caliber on the back end. Eddie Jackson briefly reached it, as did Mike Brown. Landing Downs would be a tremendous boon for the defense. Unfortunately, expectations are that he won’t go anywhere but the top 10. So, unless the Bears plan to have another losing season or trade up, they may be out of luck.

There were plenty of reasons Matt Eberflus flopped as the Chicago Bears head coach. He did a poor job building his staff. He seemed to freeze in late-game situations when the score was close. Players always seemed sloppy and unprepared. However, the true sin for him was his inability to inspire. Eberflus came across as bland, outdated, and overly formulaic in his approach. In hindsight, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that the locker room eventually mutinied against him, tired of his prepared quotes and lack of accountability. GM Ryan Poles knew that if he got another chance to find a head coach, it had to be somebody who could earn the players’ trust.

After a long evaluation process, Ben Johnson emerged as the clear choice. Poles knew of his sterling reputation as an offensive coordinator. In interviews, he came across as smart, self-confident, and energetic. He had a clear plan for building a winner. All Poles could do was hope his research and gut instinct were enough to know Johnson was the right guy for what was a dispirited and cynical locker room. According to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, a moment arrived in training camp where he knew he’d made the right choice.

It came during the intense practice on August 5th, called the most physical in 20 years.

It would have been easy for veterans to roll their eyes at such a demand. A practice that nasty can feel unnecessary for those whose roster spots are secure.

“They let it rip,” Poles said, “because they heard him get in front of the room and say, ‘This is what we need to do in order to have success.’ ’’

Poles thought it was perhaps the most important moment in all of training camp. He hopes it set a foundation. Afterward, he told Johnson that the practice was proof that his players trusted him. He asked them to go beyond what was normal, and they followed him.

“It kind of gave me goose bumps,” Poles said.

Ryan Poles knows Johnson does something Eberflus didn’t.

He communicates with the players. The coach can speak on their level, illustrating why he wants things done a certain way. Eberflus never had that ability. He talked at the players more than anything. He spewed his usual platitudes, expecting everybody to buy in because it worked when he was a defensive coordinator. That isn’t how psychology works. Johnson understands how players think on a fundamental level. They’re the ones putting their bodies on the line every Sunday. His job is to help them understand why making these sacrifices in practice now will reward them later. Ryan Poles saw the message get through in that camp practice. After years of experiencing Eberflus, one can understand why he got a bit emotional.

Ben Johnson was an offensive guy. That often comes with a reputation in the NFL. Most offensive-minded coaches are interested in cutting-edge football. They want surgical precision. Old school ideas are something they scoff at. That is what leads to them earning a reputation as finesse coaches. They’re less interested in outmuscling opponents compared to outsmarting them. When he arrived to take over the Chicago Bears in January, Johnson carried a similar tag. That bruising style of football he called in Detroit was more the identity of head coach Dan Campbell.

Johnson seemed to take that personally. It didn’t take long for Bears players to figure out that this coach has some throwback in his blood. His practices were demanding and tough. However, nothing prepared them for what happened during the first week of the preseason. According to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Johnson wanted to send a message. What followed was what many onlookers called the most physical practice a Bears team had conducted in at least 20 years.

It turns out there was a specific reason for this approach that Johnson didn’t mention afterwards.

On Aug. 5, Johnson ran what most Bears veterans called the most physical practice of their careers. Wearing full pads on Field 1 at Halas Hall, the Bears ran through their most taxing drills and tackled each other to the ground, a rarity at the pro level. Some players left with injuries. At times it was hard to tell which drills featured live tackling and which ones weren’t supposed to. They all blurred together in a pile of hitting, blocking and jawing.

At the end of practice, however, the team huddled. Johnson had a smile on his face.

“It sets a tone,” Jarrett said. “I was happy to see the call get answered.”

Johnson had told his players before practice that the Bears needed physical play to callous themselves for late-season rigors — the Bears have the earliest bye in the NFL, in Week 5 — but also to help build up their own identity.

Ben Johnson recognized a common issue with this Bears team.

It has a troubling track record of fading down the stretch of seasons. They’d sometimes get off to a great start, but as the year progressed into the second half, they would lose steam. Last year was another example. They started 3-2 and won three straight going into the bye. They proceeded to lose ten in a row, characterized by a complete disintegration in December.

Meanwhile, Detroit seemed to play its best football in December, going 3-1 with its only loss being a 48-42 shootout to Buffalo. That was because the Lions were well-prepared for the physical toll of a long season. Ben Johnson aims to get the Bears in a similar mindset. The only way to do that is by putting them through it in practice.

Most people believe the Chicago Bears are better on paper than last year. They’ve upgraded at head coach with Ben Johnson. He’ll bring a smart and creative offense to the organization and help elevate Caleb Williams. They have talent at several positions. One would think there’d be some optimism for their chances in 2025. The problem is that they reside in the most loaded division in football. Detroit, Green Bay, and Minnesota all made the playoffs last year. The Lions get back Aidan Hutchinson. The Packers just added Micah Parsons. Even the Vikings made some savvy moves up front. It is hard for people to see a path forward for the Bears.

That is, unless you’re Ndamukong Suh. Most fans remember him as one of the great antagonists of the 2010s, playing with a physical and often dirty edge. He was also one of the best defensive tackles in the league. Since retiring, he’s earned a reputation as a rather fair and honest analyst regarding NFL matters. He appeared on Up And Adams with Kay Adams, where he was asked if he thought Detroit would repeat as division champions. While he could see that result, Suh pointed out that people might not want to ignore the Bears.

The Chicago Bears already know they can play the division tough.

They beat the Packers once and should’ve swept them. They had two chances to take down Detroit and Minnesota late in games, but came up short both times. From a talent standpoint, the gulf between the two sides isn’t as wide as people think. The biggest problem was always on the coaching front. Throwing Matt Eberflus against Kevin O’Connell and Matt LaFleur every year wasn’t a fair fight. Johnson feels like somebody who can finally put the Chicago Bears on an even playing field. If he does, Suh is correct. This team is equipped to give everybody in the division problems. It is down to a mental game now. They must display the necessary discipline and toughness that Suh went through during his early years in Detroit.

Adding Joe Thuney was a no-brainer for the Chicago Bears. He is a multi-time All-Pro guard who will likely enter the Hall of Fame after he retires. Any time you have a chance to add somebody like that to the locker room, you should. Head coach Ben Johnson and GM Ryan Poles knew they needed a significant presence on the offensive line—somebody who could be great on the field and on the sidelines. By all accounts, Thuney was fantastic in both areas. Kansas City didn’t want to trade him. They had no choice.

Johnson didn’t need advice on how to deploy the 32-year-old on the field. Plug him at left guard and let him do his thing. However, the Bears’ head coach recognized he had an important opportunity in front of him. Here is a guy with incredible experience from a standpoint of success. Not only is he a great individual player, but he’s won four Super Bowls. There had to be a way to exploit that. According to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Johnson didn’t take long to find it. In an effort to instruct the Bears on the need for mental toughness, he showed them footage of the iconic Patriots’ comeback in the Super Bowl against Atlanta.

While doing that, he had Thuney reveal what was happening on the sideline.

To achieve the most infamous comeback in NFL history — if not the history of American sports — the Patriots scored 25 consecutive points to end regulation, including a touchdown and two-point conversion with a minute left. They won in overtime after marching 75 yards on eight plays, never even needing a third down.

Johnson showed key moments of the game, having left guard Joe Thuney, a four-time Super Bowl champ who played for the Patriots, narrate what his team was thinking and saying throughout the game.

Ben Johnson continues to show a great deal of common sense.

One thing that isn’t done nearly enough in the NFL is understanding a basic rule: if you have an asset, use it as much as possible. Use it for all its worth because there is no telling how long you’ll have it. Ben Johnson shows the knowledge and wherewithal to do that. He immediately understood that Thuney was valuable to the team’s goal of building a winner. His talent alone would help, but a smart team would find ways to take advantage of his experience. Johnson did that in the best way possible by ensuring the entire team understood his mindset in the most high-pressure situation in modern NFL history. With luck, other players will start adopting that mindset, making the Bears a much tougher team to beat late in games.

You can always tell what a GM might be thinking from how he distributes his scouts at college games every year. If there is one scout at a game, it is probably the usual research trip. If there are two or more, that might be a sign that at least one or two players have their full attention. Ryan Poles did that for the Chicago Bears on the first major day of college football. According to Ryan Fowler of Draft Network, the Bears were one of only seven NFL teams with more than one scout in attendance for the Texas-Ohio State matchup. Poles himself was there as well.

Now, having multiple guys in a matchup between top programs isn’t crazy. What makes it somewhat unusual is the roster configuration. Looking ahead to the 2026 draft, experts have ranked the top names on both rosters. It doesn’t really line up with the Bears’ most pressing needs.

• #1 prospect – S Caleb Downs (OSU)
• #2 prospect – QB Arch Manning (Texas)
• #18 prospect – TE Max Klare (Ohio State)
• #43 prospect – LB Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas)
• #49 prospect – WR Carnell Tate (Ohio State)
• #53 prospect – CB Malik Muhammad (Texas)
• #55 prospect – EDGE LT Overton (Ohio State)

Of the seven players currently rated as 1st or 2nd round prospects, only two play a position of need for the Bears. One is Downs, who is almost certain to go in the top 10, and the other is Overton.

Ryan Poles’ draft plans might not line up with what we expect.

Most Bears fans would agree that the organization’s top needs when looking ahead are left tackle, edge rusher, running back, and safety. Ben Johnson has made his thoughts on left tackle clear. Both Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard are free agents after this season. The pass rusher situation is questionable outside of Montez Sweat, who is approaching 30. Running back also faces deep concerns as Roschon Johnson battles health problems again. Not to mention, many still don’t see D’Andre Swift as a primary back.

This heavy representation would suggest the Bears might be eyeing different positions as priorities next year. It isn’t hard to understand their potential interest in Downs. Many have compared him to Chiefs legend Eric Berry, whom Ryan Poles helped draft in Kansas City. If the Bears picked high enough, he would be a monster addition to the secondary. Still, seeing this early glimpse at the team’s scouting approach is interesting.

Watching Micah Parsons go to the Green Bay Packers was frustrating for Chicago Bears fans. Not only did their arch-rival get one of the best defensive players in the league, but it was also at a position the Bears have clear needs. Austin Booker just went on IR with a knee injury. That leaves Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo as the only two proven pass rushers on the roster. An injury to either of them completely exposes the defense, to say nothing of how easy it might be to wear those guys down from playing too many snaps. The Bears can’t be this naive to think everything is fine.

A few veteran options, such as Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Jadeveon Clowney, could help. However, each would demand starting-level snaps, which would take away opportunities from Booker once he returns. If the Bears want a solution, it probably has to be somebody younger they feel can offer the team long-term potential. As luck would have it, there might be a situation developing out east. Word has spread that Keion White, the New England Patriots’ former 2nd round pick, has been demoted, according to Karen Guregian of Mass Live.

This would suggest the young pass rusher has fallen out of favor with the new coaching staff.

During the course of camp and the preseason, the physically-gifted White had seemingly lost his starting job to the newly signed K’Lavon Chaisson.

Speaking with White at his locker Thursday, the Patriots defensive end didn’t care much about the perception he was demoted, or relegated to the second team.

He was rather glib about the subject.

“As long as I have a job, I like the fact that I have one,” White said. “I could care less. They could put me at corner. If they’re going to pay me, I’ll play it.”

White is exactly the type of player the Chicago Bears should gamble on.

For one, he has the dimension that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen prefers at 6’5, 285 lbs. For another, he had a productive second season for the Patriots, collecting five sacks, 16 QB hits, and 45 pressures last season. It feels like the 26-year-old is poised for a true breakout year. Mike Vrabel likely has his reasons for demoting White, but it isn’t easy to understand. One thing is certain. If this means the young defensive end is available, the Chicago Bears have every reason to make an aggressive offer. He won’t cost nearly as much to acquire as Parsons and fits the defense they plan to implement. A trio of him, Sweat, and Odeyingbo would be far more viable. It would be shocking if the Bears don’t make some sort of move in the next week.

Seeing Micah Parsons go to the Green Bay Packers was a gut punch for Chicago Bears fans. They already have enough pass rushers to deal with in the NFC North. Now they have to battle arguably the best in the NFL for the next five years. It led to immediate recriminations by fans against GM Ryan Poles. They couldn’t understand why the Bears didn’t make a determined push to enter the Parsons sweepstakes. The team arguably needs more help with the pass rush than Green Bay did. It couldn’t have been too daunting to match what the Cowboys ended up accepting. Jerry Jones debunked that rumor.

Dallas’ owner stood before the press shortly after the trade went down. He discussed all the reasons it happened. The primary explanation was that he felt that, as great as Parsons was, he hadn’t helped solve the Cowboys’ biggest problem for years: stopping the run. Weak as that may sound, Jones went into further details about why Green Bay made the most sense for a trade destination. Here he listed two reasons.

1. They had the necessary cap space to give Parsons a new contract.
2. They had a high-quality defensive tackle (Kenny Clark) to give back in return.

Chicago had the money but not the player Jerry Jones wanted.

The Bears could’ve offered only two realistic options. One was Gervon Dexter, who played for Matt Eberflus in Chicago. He didn’t have the same star power as Clark and probably wouldn’t have been an easy sell to Dallas fans. The other is Grady Jarrett. While he is a former Pro Bowler, he is also three years older than Clark. Looking at it that way paints a clear enough picture. The Bears never had a realistic shot. They could’ve found the money for Parsons, but they didn’t have the critical final piece Jones was looking for. That is the sad reality of trades. Sometimes it’s less about the size of an offer and more about the type. The Bears caught the winds of good fortune with Khalil Mack seven years ago. This time, it’s Green Bay.