The Chicago Bears know how important this upcoming season is. They haven’t finished with a winning record since 2018. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2020. Fans are getting tired of trusting the process during a rebuild. It is felt this season should be the year when real progress is felt. The quarterback they drafted #1 overall is no longer a rookie. The Bears brought in a young, offensive-oriented head coach who can take Caleb Williams to the next level. They’re still strong defensively and have stacked offensive firepower everywhere.

No more excuses.

Unfortunately, the Bears won’t receive much help from the NFL schedule. On paper, it is among the toughest in the league. Not only do they have to play their own NFC North division, which sent three teams to the playoffs last year, but also the NFC East and the AFC North. Two of the best in the NFL as well. Every game will be tantamount to a playoff matchup. Thankfully, it appears the Bears may catch a small break for their important opener in September against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Chicago Bears can make life tough on an Addison-less Vikings.

Don’t forget the facts in this situation. Minnesota will be starting a rookie quarterback this season. J.J. McCarthy missed all of last year with a knee injury. Sam Darnold started in his place and played well. McCarthy has lots to prove, and it was hoped the Vikings’ loaded offense could help ease his burden. Addison has been good for around 900 yards and nine touchdowns each of the past two seasons. If he gets suspended because of this DUI case, he won’t be available Monday Night at Soldier Field. They would need backup, Jailen Nailor, or rookie Tai Felton to fill the gap alongside Justin Jefferson. That rarely happens. If the Chicago Bears could hold Minnesota’s offense in check for once, it’d drastically increase their odds of getting that crucial first win.

The Chicago Bears have assembled plenty of different coaching staffs in their history. Some have succeeded, such as those under Mike Ditka and Lovie Smith. Most have disappointed, like more recent versions under Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, and Matt Eberflus. For the first time, maybe ever, it feels like this time is different. Chicago snagged the one coach everybody else wanted. Ben Johnson was the belle of the ball. He was the young gun with the sharp offensive mind that teams desired to guide their quarterbacks to success. Somehow, the Bears were the ones who lured him in.

Johnson arrived with more presence than people expected. His passion, energy, competitiveness, and attention to detail stood out immediately. However, it doesn’t end there. Adam Jahns of CHGO has covered the Bears for a long time. He’s seen several different variations of coaching staffs in that time. He insists that what Johnson has put together is significantly more intriguing than anything before it. One reason is the overall depth of coaching experience it has across the board.

Another is the amount of playing experience it also has.

The Chicago Bears are returning to a successful formula.

Having not just former players but former successful players in your coaching staff can be such a benefit to your team. New assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El won a Super Bowl in Pittsburgh while carving out a productive receiving career. Running backs coach Eric Bieniemy was an All-American in college, where he won a national championship. Quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett was a three-time Conference Player of the Year and also won a national title in college. Secondary coach Al Harris made two Pro Bowls as a cornerback in the NFL.

Few coaches in recent Bears history have followed this approach. Mike Ditka was the most notable. He had Dick Stanfel, a Hall of Fame guard, running his offensive line. Running backs coach Johnny Roland was a two-time Pro Bowler in his playing days. Seeing Johnson using a similar approach tells you he understands how good teams function. If you want Chicago Bears players to understand how to excel at the pro level, maybe connect them with guys who did precisely that in their own playing days.

When he took the Chicago Bears job, Ryan Poles knew what he was getting himself into. The team was old, expensive, and didn’t have enough draft capital to retool the roster on the fly. If he wanted to build this thing the right way, he’d have to do something most GMs dread: rebuild. To his credit, Poles didn’t hesitate with the decision. He immediately blew up the roster from top to bottom, trading or releasing everybody who wasn’t nailed down. Within a year, most of the lineup Ryan Pace built was gone.

Doing this comes with risks, especially in today’s era of football. Fans are far less patient with rebuilds than they were 40-50 years ago. They expect results within two or three years. If you can’t do it, then it’s time for changes. The Bears could’ve reached that decision in January, coming off a rough 5-12 campaign that saw them fire the head coach before the season ended. After deliberating on it, ownership decided to stay the course. They allowed Poles a chance to right the ship by hiring the next head coach.

His search led to offensive wizard Ben Johnson.

A few months later, the organization punctuated this with a contract extension for the GM. Most people think this is a nod of approval from ownership, which he doesn’t deserve. However, you’re missing the more important point.

Ryan Poles’ extension means he has Johnson’s trust.

One persistent belief during the coaching search was that if the Bears landed Johnson, it would come with assurances he’d have significant say on personnel decisions. Some thought that Chicago would keep Ryan Poles in place for a time and remove him later, allowing Johnson to bring in his own guy. While not the most ethical way to conduct business, it’s been done by other teams before. Poles’ extension kills that theory. It is confirmation that Johnson sees him as somebody he can trust and rely on. They operated well together in free agency and the draft. Poles got his contract once the team got the results they hoped for. This was as much a decision by Johnson as it was ownership.

Caleb Williams isn’t enjoying much confidence from the national media. It is difficult to understand why at first glance. His numbers weren’t bad: 3,500 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Many former #1 picks had far worse debuts. It feels like the pessimism comes from a few directions. Williams took 68 sacks last season. That leads many to believe he’s incapable of getting the ball out fast enough to avoid pressure. Next, there was the ascent of Jayden Daniels in Washington. His electric rookie season made it easy to overlook what Williams accomplished. Last but not least, it’s the Chicago Bears. They have a legacy of ruining quarterbacks.

Why should anybody have confidence this year will be different? Enter Luke Kuechly. The former Defensive Player of the Year and Carolina Panthers legend knows great quarterbacks. He faced some of the best in league history: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Matthew Stafford. If anybody is qualified to have an opinion on whether Williams can make it in the NFL, it’s Kuechly. During an interview on Up & Adams, he gave specific details on why he feels the Bears quarterback will have a big season.

Caleb Williams was better on play action plays.

He had a higher passer rating (95.4 to 86.2) and completion percentage (64.2 to 62.1) than on regular passing plays. He also averaged significantly more yards per attempt at 8.3 to 5.9. Yet the Bears only had him throw on play action just 17.1% of his dropbacks. Meanwhile, Jared Goff threw them on 35.7% of his drops, posting a 121.0 passer rating in the process. Ben Johnson was lethal with the passing game. Kuechly is right. If he brings those same concepts to Chicago and can get the run game going, Caleb Williams stands to benefit without having to pull any Superman stuff. The quickest way to build confidence in a young quarterback is by making things as easy for him as possible.