The Minnesota Vikings knew they were running out of time. Kirk Cousins was aging and had proven unable to get them over the hump to a Super Bowl. So they decided to hit the reset button in the 2024 draft, selecting Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy as his heir apparent. It made sense. The guy just led the Wolverines to their first national championship in almost 30 years. He was renowned for his leadership and calm under pressure. If anybody had the mental fortitude to get this team to the mountaintop, it was him.

Then a knee injury ended his rookie season before it began. Luckily for the Vikings, they got an unexpected breakout year from Sam Darnold, enabling them to make the playoffs. However, he left in free agency to join Seattle. McCarthy is the unquestioned starter now. Based on recent updates from Minneapolis, it hasn’t been going well. Comments from star receiver Justin Jefferson raised plenty of red flags.

“You definitely have to have patience,” Jefferson said. “He’s pretty much a rookie. Last year pretty much doesn’t count for him. He’s still new to the scheme, new to coming out here and throwing to these different receivers. So you have to have that patience.

“You’re not really expected to have that same mindset as a veteran. You can’t really have that expectation from him. But we do have the expectation of him being great, coming out here every single day, working his butt off and progressing every single day.”

Head coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t help matters, according to ESPN.

At one point during a meeting with reporters Friday, O’Connell felt compelled to look up and say: “The sky has not fallen, so it’s all good.”

The excuses for JJ McCarthy don’t really add up.

Calling him a rookie this season isn’t entirely true. Patrick Mahomes played one game in his first season with Kansas City. The next year, he threw 50 touchdowns. Tom Brady won a Super Bowl in his “rookie” season of his second year with New England. This idea that JJ McCarthy isn’t ready yet should set off alarm bells. Draft experts always had misgivings about the Michigan quarterback. They felt he was slow on progressions during his time in college, and made matters worse with modest arm strength. The run-first offense he played in covered those problems up. O’Connell has generally deployed a pass-heavy attack in Minnesota, which means McCarthy will have to throw a lot more. It sounds like people are nervous about such a plan already.

The Chicago Bears drafted Colston Loveland because he is a rare specimen. Few tight ends have his mixture of size, speed, and route-running skills. He’s too big for defensive backs and too fast for linebackers. Teams would kill for the matchup advantages he can provide. It is why there is an eternal hunt for their likeness, as Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and others have changed the game. The Bears have had that type of player twice in their history. Both led to playoff success. Mike Ditka helped them win the 1963 NFL championship. Greg Olsen was the main reason for Chicago’s last playoff victory in 2010.

However, through the first week of training camp, head coach Ben Johnson has come to a realization. The physical talent might not be what makes Loveland such a nightmare to cover. It is his intelligence. Head coach Ben Johnson spoke about it in an interview. Most players see the game of football from the perspective of the position they play. That is hardly a surprise. However, Loveland sees it like a quarterback would. He can immediately decipher the defense’s coverages, if they’re sending pressure, and what route he must run to counter it. Having a skill player with that advantage, especially a rookie, is rare.

Colston Loveland is already proving this on the field.

Remember, he didn’t practice at all in the spring, still recovering from his shoulder injury last year. That didn’t seem to matter. He’s been making plays in every practice since stepping on the field. Defenders can’t handle his size and speed, and his intelligence allows him to find the soft spots in coverage. It is everything the Bears could’ve asked for. There is a reason other teams were desperate to trade up for Colston Loveland in the draft. They saw the same things Chicago did. If he ends up becoming the star that the Bears envision, those teams will wish they’d paid whatever price was asked of them.

Caleb Williams is at the heart of the Chicago Bears‘ hopes to finally break through for their first playoff berth is seven years. Quarterback has been the one position that has haunted them for decades. No organization has done worse at cultivating it in the Super Bowl era. Only two players managed even to make a Pro Bowl in 60 years. Williams marked the first time it felt like the Bears had the right guy. His first season didn’t go as hoped, characterized by 68 sacks and a complete crapshow of a coaching staff.

That is why the Bears devoted all their resources this offseason to helping him. They threw tons of money on the offensive line and spent their first two picks in the draft on weapons (Colston Loveland and Luther Burden). However, it was the arrival of head coach Ben Johnson, an offensive wizard from Detroit, who would determine whether he could progress or not. Reports from training camp have been encouraging, and a pair of plays from the most recent practice on Saturday illustrated how fast it’s happening. Courtney Cronin of ESPN provided details.

Facing third-and-10 from the 17-yard line, Williams rolled to his right while evading the rush and fired a pass to tight end Cole Kmet in the back right corner of the end zone for a touchdown…

…Williams’ best moment was during an 11-on-11 red zone period where he threaded the needle on a tight-window to throw to Odunze for a touchdown. The quarterback continued to roll toward the sideline after launching the ball on the run and let out an emphatic “Let’s f—ing go!” in celebration.

Caleb Williams is starting to address his biggest concerns.

The two things he seemed to struggle with the most last season were handling blitzes on 3rd and long and throwing the ball with accuracy into tight windows. It is what often led him to holding the ball too long and taking sacks. These two plays show he has learned how to handle them. Sensing pressure and finding Kmet for a touchdown in the face of a blitz is a big deal. It proves Johnson’s plan to have Dennis Allen throw extra pressure at Caleb Williams frequently was smart. As for the Odunze throw, it proves the quarterback is gaining more confidence in his accuracy. Throwing windows in the NFL are small. Defensive backs at this level are too smart and too athletic. You must be willing to take some chances and trust your receivers to make a play.

Ben Johnson knows his biggest roster decision by the end of training camp will be his left tackle. It is the only offensive position without a clear starter. Braxton Jones, Kiran Amegadjie, and Ozzy Trapilo are in a three-man race. Since camp began, they have rotated through the starting lineup, trading days where they worked with the #1 offense. Johnson said the Chicago Bears haven’t made any decisions yet, but expect to within two weeks, meaning after the first preseason game. The reasoning was simple. They had to make sure the starters had enough time to gel before Monday night against Minnesota in September.

Things appear to have coalesced over the past few days. Based on recent developments, there might be a leader in the clubhouse for the job. Amegadjie appears to have suffered a leg injury, leaving his status in question. Meanwhile, Trapilo worked entirely with the starting offense in Saturday’s practice while Jones was with the second and third string units. The rotation is not over yet. Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle made that clear. Yet the signs are hard to ignore.

If this trend holds, the Chicago Bears will enter unique territory.

It is rare for the top three picks in a draft to earn playing time immediately for a team. Based on the results from camp, the Chicago Bears are trending in that direction. Colston Loveland was already expected to get work at tight end. The biggest revelation at Halas Hall, though, is Luther Burden. He’s been tearing the defense up at every opportunity. Now, Trapilo is going blow for blow with Jones in the battle for left tackle. Coaches love his maturity and intelligence. His size speaks for itself. He may steal the job if he can hold his own in pass protection enough times. This feels like something that will be decided in that first preseason game. How Trapilo performs will convince the coaches of which direction to go.

For years, Bears training camp followed a familiar script: the defense dominated, and the offense struggled to keep up. But in 2025, that’s no longer the case.

Led by first year head coach Ben Johnson and second year quarterback Caleb Williams, the Bears offense is finally fighting back—and winning its share of battles. After a slow start, Williams has settled in, showing the arm talent, poise, and playmaking ability that made him the No. 1 pick. He’s sharper, quicker, and far more confident under Johnson’s scheme.

Johnson’s influence is obvious. His system emphasizes quick reads, play-action, and getting the ball into the hands of playmakers—and this roster has plenty. DJ Moore continues to shine, Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze are dangerous on all levels, and D’Andre Swift and Colston Loveland are making big plays as well. It’s a balanced, explosive attack.

Just as important: the offensive line is holding strong. With rookie Ozzy Trapilo and Darnell Wright on the edges and Drew Dalman, Joe Thuney, and Jonah Jackson solidifying the interior, the unit is giving Williams the time he needs to operate. A luxury Williams did not have his rookie year.

And while the offense is making headlines, the defense hasn’t gone anywhere. Montez Sweat, Kyler Gordon, and Tremaine Edmunds are still leading a fierce, physical unit. But now, they seem to be getting better every practice—credit to DC Dennis Allen. Now just imagine if they added a player like Micah Parsons.

For once, the Bears aren’t just a defensive team. They’re balanced. They’re dangerous. And they might finally be fun. If this camp momentum carries into the season, 2025 could be the most exciting year Bears fans have seen in a long time.

The Chicago Bears made history in 2018 when they swung the blockbuster trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for star pass rusher Khalil Mack. They say lightning never strikes twice, but history sometimes proves them wrong. Suddenly, here the Bears are again. They look like an ascending team with a young quarterback and a new head coach. Their defense is good, and they feel like they’re one piece away from becoming great. So it’s rather poetic that Micah Parsons, another star edge rusher in his prime, has requested a trade.

Contract talks with the Dallas Cowboys have reportedly hit a brick wall. Owner Jerry Jones is trying to circumvent Parsons’ agent, and Parsons doesn’t appreciate it. Combine this with other digs in the media over the past year, and the All-Pro has reached his breaking point. Speculation is already rampant about where Parsons could go if the Cowboys do trade him. There is no shortage of possibilities. Eric Edholm of NFL.com believes the Bears are one of the few teams worth watching the most.

“GM Ryan Poles has settled into his role, and this offseason might have been his finest hour. Somehow landing Parsons would make it a grand slam. The Bears could scrounge together the draft picks if they wanted, crippling as it might be. Finding the money to pay Parsons — while planning for a possible Caleb Williams extension down the road — will be the tougher part.

Parsons opposite Montez Sweat, with all the Bears’ other defensive line talent, would be a problem for offenses. Along with some quality back-seven players, it might be Chicago’s best defense since at least 2018. Even if it’s more of a pipe dream.”

Micah Parsons is the missing piece for the Bears.

Everybody who has followed the team this offseason can see that they only need another pass rusher to pair with Montez Sweat. With all due respect to Dayo Odeyingbo, he isn’t of that upper tier. Micah Parsons might be the best in the entire league. His impact would be similar, if not greater than Mack’s. Of course, that comes with a price. Not only would the Bears have to give up several high draft choices to land him, but also a record-setting contract worth more than $41 million per year. That is a lot. It should only be done if they were certain Parsons would make them an instant Super Bowl contender. In situations like this, you must be sure your quarterback is the guy. The Bears made that mistake once already with Mitch Trubisky. It feels too early to be sure about Caleb Williams.

NFL head coaches are different, but many of them still operate according to a similar playbook. Once they secure the job, they have to assemble a staff. The smoothest way to do this is by digging into their personal connections. They try bringing in guys they’ve either worked with directly or have connections to them through friends in the league. Matt Eberflus basically brought his entire defensive staff with him from Indianapolis. Lovie Smith did the same when he took over in 2004. Ben Johnson was different.

The Chicago Bears head coach brought only one assistant with him from Detroit: wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El. Pretty much every other notable addition, including defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, has never worked with him before. It was a fascinating departure from the normal procedure for young head coaches. On Thursday, Johnson finally took the opportunity to explain his reasoning behind the approach. It boiled down to surrounding himself with qualified people who aren’t afraid to say what is necessary.

“I like to take their thoughts — I told that staff when we came back from the summer that I need a bunch of truth tellers around me,” he said. “I need guys that aren’t going to tell me what I want to hear, but are going to tell me how they see it, then I’ll be able to assess the information and make a decision and we’ll go with it. That’s been the course so far.”

Ben Johnson understands football at a fundamental level.

He will not be able to win games consistently in this league unless he understands what his team truly needs. That can’t be done if the coaches around him aren’t willing to mention things that may upset him. A good example of this was Bill Walsh. He’d famously considered trading Joe Montana in 1988 and asked his staff their thoughts, hoping they’d back him up. Almost to a man, they told him not to do it. Initially frustrated, he chose to heed their advice and kept Montana as the starter. San Francisco won the Super Bowl that year, capped by a 93-yard game-winning drive from the Hall of Fame quarterback. Ben Johnson knows that he doesn’t know everything, however smart he may be. There will come times when he doesn’t have the right answer for the Bears. That is when he’ll need an outspoken staff to point the way.