The Miami Dolphins held their joint practice with the Chicago Bears almost two weeks ago. Reporters representing the team complained that Chicago was way too physical during drills. They even called the Bears dirty for such tactics. It was odd, especially since nobody from Miami’s coaching staff lodged a complaint. Well, it appears at least some in the Dolphins locker room didn’t care for the Bears’ approach. Center Aaron Brewer certainly had something to say about it.

He was asked about the physical practice against Chicago, and boy, he didn’t hold back.

“Definitely a joint practice with Chicago, I feel like they were like some b-heads, you know what I’m saying? They was out there tackling and this and that. So, you know, like fake physicality, you know what I’m saying? Like, they out there playing tackle football and everybody else was out there playing like seven on seven or something. Like, it’s fake physicality. Kind of seen that when we went out there to play in the real game.”

Brewer basically called the Bears’ weak posers, trying to act tough. He seems to agree with the narrative that their tackling in drills was dirty. What makes this so funny is that the Dolphins have earned a reputation in recent years of being a soft team. Better opponents like Buffalo, Green Bay, Houston, and Seattle have pushed them around. It probably didn’t help his argument that Chicago crushed the Bills 38-0 in their preseason matchup a week later.

The Chicago Bears didn’t back down when confronted in game situations.

Miami had a chance to assert themselves in the preseason opener two days after that practice. Brewer and the offense drove down the field on the opening series, only to get stuffed at the goal line. Keep in mind, the Chicago Bears weren’t playing their starting defense. You can understand why it is somewhat difficult to take those comments seriously. Brewer talks a big game but didn’t back it up when he had a chance. Even worse, Ben Johnson’s former team in Detroit reportedly beat up on the Dolphins in a joint practice as well. It might be wise to keep his mouth shut moving forward until they can erase the stigma that has haunted them for three years. Don’t forget this is the same team that ran Vic Fangio out of town because he coached too hard. He then proceeded to win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia. It might be time to admit that Miami doesn’t understand true physicality.

The Chicago Bears can’t complain about what they’ve seen from their 2025 draft class so far. Colston Loveland and Luther Burden are already showcasing their playmaking ability. Ozzy Trapilo has positioned himself to become the team’s swing tackle as a rookie. Ruben Hyppolite is thriving on special teams. Kyle Monangai is looking at serious snaps in the running back rotation. Even Luke Newman has looked so much better than anticipated. The only exception to all of this has been Zah Frazier.

Chicago took the tall, athletic cornerback out of UTSA in the 5th round. He came on the personal recommendation of secondary coach Al Harris. There were certainly exciting traits to work with. Then something happened. Around the start of training camp, Frazier vanished. He was declared out for “personal reasons” and didn’t surface for weeks. Some began speculating he planned to retire. Then the twist came. Frazier had popped up at practice, appearing to go through the ramp-up period before rejoining the defense.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune had some details.

Rookie fifth-round pick Zah Frazier has missed all of training camp for personal reasons, making it a little hard to picture a pathway to the 53-man roster for him at the start of the season. But the cornerback from Texas-San Antonio was spotted about midway through practice.

He was getting off a golf cart outside the weight room, an indication he probably was doing some type of workout on other fields or inside the Walter Payton Center. It’s potentially a sign that Frazier will be involved in football activities before too long.

Zah Frazier is battling the clock now.

In his absence, other players have positioned themselves for roster spots. Nahshon Wright, Tre Flower, and Josh Blackwell feel like the favorites to scoop up the last three behind the starters. The season-ending injury suffered by Terell Smith shook things up a bit. That said, Zah Frazier is all but out of time. Final cuts are due on August 26th. That gives him five days to make a strong impression. After missing over a month of action, it seems unlikely he can sway coaches based on practice reps alone. He must hope that his status as a draft pick is enough to retain a spot. Given how this coaching staff has operated, that seems unlikely. It feels like Frazier is destined to be released. His best hope is that either another team claims him on waivers, which is unlikely, or he lands on the practice squad. We’ll find out more in a few days.

The arrival of Ben Johnson has been a breath of fresh air for Chicago Bears fans. For the first time in over a decade, it feels like the organization is in the hands of somebody who knows what he’s doing. Lovie Smith wasn’t perfect, but he understood the buttons he had to press to get guys to play smart and hard. Johnson hasn’t conducted any actual games yet. Still, the limited evidence available suggests he’s fully competent. The Bears’ 38-0 demolition of Buffalo in the preseason was one example. Even though the game didn’t matter, it still showed players who didn’t make many mistakes and played with intensity.

At last, the Bears gave us a window into how Johnson operates. They released a five-minute video of him mic’d up during training camp. It doesn’t take long to see why players respond to him. He’s animated, energetic, has a firm command in his voice, and understands how to communicate. However, one moment stood out above the rest. It came during a move-the-ball period where the Bears’ offense was operating according to a specific script of plays, something teams always do at the beginning of games.

Ben Johnson is not a prisoner to structure.

He didn’t stubbornly stick to the script even when there were signs it wasn’t working. The moment he felt things were trending in the wrong direction, he immediately shifted gears to something else. People don’t realize how rare this trait is. So many coaches believe in sticking to the game plan, believing that with enough persistence, it will work out. Only the good ones have the wherewithal to recognize that an opponent is onto you and the guts to make on-the-fly adjustments. Matt Eberflus was infamous for failing to adjust until the end of a half when things went poorly in the first and second quarters. Meanwhile, Mike Shanahan famously inserted plays his team hadn’t practiced during the week into the middle of playoff games.

Ben Johnson is made of the same stuff. He has a good sense of his team’s trending direction and the guts to throw out a game plan when it’s not working, which is a great sign for the Bears.

The Chicago Bears look like a different team. Head coach Ben Johnson seems to have instilled them with confidence and discipline for the first time in years. Their hammering of Buffalo last week, preseason or not, was a sign that this team could be ready to win. They have talent in several areas on both sides of the ball. GM Ryan Poles has done a good job, for the most part. However, it’s not perfect. There are areas with serious depth questions. They’ve already had to address running back twice. Cornerback has suffered multiple injury setbacks.

Yet neither of those positions is the one the Bears have worked hardest to find a solution for. A source informed SM that Poles has combed through the potential trade market for pass rush help. Having Montez Sweat is great, but the options beyond him are questionable. Dayo Odeyingbo was a solid pickup in free agency. After that, it gets iffy with Austin Booker and Dominique Robinson highlighting a thin group of reserves. It doesn’t help that both of those players exited the preseason game against Buffalo with injuries.

The Chicago Bears’ list of options depends on their price range.

If they’re willing to set aside a lot of money and pay up some high draft picks, Trey Hendrickson is the name to watch. The 30-year-old is at an impasse with Cincinnati over a new deal, and there’s been no progress for months. He played for Dennis Allen before, so there’s familiarity. It is an easy sell. They could also look to swing even bigger with Micah Parsons, but there is no indication Dallas is interested in trading him. After that, the list of options for the Chicago Bears gets murky.

D.J. Wonnum?

Samson Ebukam?

Marcus Davenport?

There is no clear evidence that any of these guys or others are available. Much will depend on how the final roster cuts will unfold. Plenty of teams may wish to unload certain pass rushers for draft capital. Maybe the Bears can find a bargain.

If you haven’t noticed by now, Ben Johnson is a competitor. He is maniacal about winning. That is why he is obsessed with every little thing the Chicago Bears do. Details matter. Execution is everything. If you make dumb mistakes, don’t expect a pat on the shoulder pads. Expect the wrath. To him, every other team is the enemy. They’re standing in the way of his goal of winning championships. That includes his former team, the Detroit Lions. Johnson has nothing but love for the players he went to battle with up there, but that phase of his career is over.

Recently, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back Jahmyr Gibbs commented after watching Chicago’s preseason 38-0 demolition of Buffalo. They felt the offense looked the same as the one they’d run for years in Detroit. Johnson was later asked about that on Up & Adams with Kay Adams. The head coach seemed to chafe at those comments. He clarified that what people saw against Buffalo was not the Bears’ offense. It is merely the stripped-down scheme he always runs in the preseason.

What he has planned for Chicago is nothing like the one he left behind in Detroit.

Ben Johnson is, indeed, intense.

There had always been rumors about how serious he is about everything. Players talked about it. Assistant coaches talked about it. For him to respond like that in a random interview should tell you everything. He doesn’t want to hear anybody talk about his offense like they know anything. That includes his former players. Mind your own business. That may seem odd, but it is one of the subtle ways Ben Johnson fosters team unity. Nobody outside the organization has your best interests at heart. It’s okay to answer questions and be cordial. Just remember that they know nothing. If they try acting like they do, set them straight through quotes like this or on the football field. Johnson seems eager to show everybody how grossly unprepared the NFL is for what is coming.

GM Ryan Poles had one last goal before the season began. He wanted to extend backup quarterback Tyson Bagent. It had become clear the former undrafted free agent was a favorite of new head coach Ben Johnson. The Chicago Bears already knew Bagent was capable in a reserve role, and he’s only shown improvement since. Keeping him in-house would give the team some much-needed stability. The problem in many people’s eyes was the belief that Bagent had no incentive to sign such a deal.

He has plenty of admirers around the league, stemming from his surprise showing as a rookie in 2023 and his strong preseasons each of the past two years. There was even a buzz of a possible trade market developing for him. Bagent had to think he had a chance to start somewhere, right? The short answer is yes. He told the media as much when he met with them on Wednesday.

Then why accept the two-year extension?

An emotional Bagent explained his reasoning as primarily two-fold. First, he loves Chicago. His time in the city and with the organization has created deep affection. The other part is more pragmatic. He wants the chance to work with Johnson and this offensive coaching staff.

Tyson Bagent continues to prove he is a smart young man.

Many in his position would jump at the chance to compete for a starting job as soon as possible. They want to play—it’s only natural. However, there is a significant danger in rushing such a decision. Several of those quarterbacks go in unprepared. Even if they win the job, they never perform at a high enough level to succeed. Conversely, some chose to stay patient. They learned under a competent coaching staff and seized the opportunity when they felt ready.

There are some prominent examples of this. Matt Cassel signed in New England to learn under Bill Belichick. He parlayed that into a starting job with Kansas City, where he made a Pro Bowl. After two years in St. Louis, Ryan Fitzpatrick chose to sign with Cincinnati, believing their capable staff could help him. Two years later, he signed in Buffalo, where he’d end up starting for four years. That is a path Tyson Bagent believes he can take, and Johnson is the one to show him the way.

The Chicago Bears knew they were getting one of the brightest offensive minds in football when they hired Ben Johnson earlier this year. What they may not have fully realized—along with fans and media—is just how intense, demanding, and borderline obsessive Johnson can be when it comes to his competitiveness. From day one, he has shown a relentless attention to detail and sky-high expectations for this franchise. It’s been a breath of fresh air.

That intensity was on full display when Bears wide receiver DJ Moore appeared on Up and Adams with Kay Adams. Moore revealed that Johnson can be “crazy” in the best way. Despite the Bears shutting out the Bills 38-0, Moore admitted he wasn’t sure if Johnson would even be happy because he didn’t know if the team had scored enough points.

Moore added that Johnson can be hard to read, which fans saw firsthand during the broadcast. Even as the Bears built a 28-0 lead, cameras caught Johnson on the sideline showing no emotion—stone cold until the final whistle.

Still, that intensity has brought a refreshing culture shift inside Halas Hall. Johnson has already set the bar high, blending his offensive genius with a Dan Campbell-like toughness. The Bears have been searching for this kind of leader for years. It’s early, but all signs point to Chicago finally getting it right.