Ben Johnson found his way to the Chicago Bears in 2025 after a successful rise to offensive coordinator in Detroit. Over that time, he has developed a healthy hatred of the Green Bay Packers that is well documented by now. However, a new story detailing the head coach’s origin as a play caller may have unearthed some fascinating information. It appears Johnson developed a love of football at a very young age. According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, he started watching football with his father at the start of the 1990s.

Their favorite team was the San Francisco 49ers, who were in the midst of an incredible dynastic run that saw them win 5 Super Bowls in 13 years. Joe Montana was the family favorite.

In those days, Sundays were spent gathered around the television watching the San Francisco 49ers dominate the 1990s. The Niners were Don Johnson’s favorite team. As a former college offensive coordinator and later a high school football coach, he appreciated San Francisco’s West Coast offense and thought quarterback Joe Montana was “exceptional” for the way he operated within the scheme.

So did Ben, who would jump around the living room and try to throw a spiral with a football that barely fit in his hands while emulating his favorite quarterback.

If these details are correct, that means Johnson started watching the 49ers around 1990. That was the last season Montana was the primary starter. What makes it so interesting is that his play-caller at the time was named Mike Holmgren. That same man would leave in 1992 to become head coach of the Green Bay Packers.

A Packers legend helped lay the groundwork for what Ben Johnson became.

People often forget how good a play-caller Holmgren was in those days. He ran the West Coast offense almost as well as Bill Walsh himself did, helping Montana deliver his best season as a professional in 1989. That success would carry over to Green Bay, where he turned Brett Favre into a three-time league MVP. It is amazing to think he might’ve had such an impact on a young Johnson like that. It wasn’t long before the future head coach was designing his own plays in his free time, even before he was in middle school.

It is rather poetic in a way. Holmgren spent years putting the Bears in hell with his success as Packers coach. That hell persisted long after he left. How appropriate is it that even before he took that job, he sowed the seeds of Chicago’s revival by inspiring a kid to follow the same path he did? Ben Johnson has made himself into a villain in Green Bay’s eyes. Beating them is always his top priority. His genius as a play-caller makes their job of owning the rivalry much harder than it used to be.

This is further proof of how entwined the two teams remain.

Don’t forget that George Halas recommended Vince Lombardi to the Green Bay Packers all those years ago. Rather fitting that an eventual Packers great would return the favor, if unintentionally. So many things needed to happen for Johnson to end up in Chicago. He had to fail as a player in college, ensuring he wouldn’t bounce around the NFL even as a backup. Then he’d have to get the opportunity to become a coordinator, which initially wasn’t possible in Detroit. Lastly, the Bears had to delay firing Matt Eberflus after 2023 because Johnson wasn’t ready to leave.

So many things came together to make this a reality. Yet all of it began with a 5-year-old watching 49ers games with his father and marveling at the intricate chess match NFL coaches played. He may have been too young to fully understand what he was watching, but the seed was planted. Once he became old enough, Johnson embarked on his journey. The rest is history.

If there is one thing we have learned about Caleb Williams’ family since he joined the Chicago Bears, it’s that they are enterprising. They treat business every bit as seriously as football. Williams already has an extensive investment portfolio, and he has said he hopes to keep it growing as his career progresses. Undoubtedly, he learned this mentality from his father, Carl Williams. The family patriarch is a prominent businessman who owns a performance training facility in Washington, D.C., and is a respected real estate developer.

One thing we’ve learned about the man is he’s not afraid to stick his nose into things that the fathers of athletes usually don’t. He tried to find a way out of the Bears drafting Caleb two years ago, even consulting with lawyers on the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement. Now it appears he is aiming for something a little more in his wheelhouse but no less ambitious. According to Justin Lawrence of Crain’s Chicago Business, Williams has become involved with a team of developers aiming to pitch the Bears on a site for their new stadium in downtown Chicago.

Caleb Williams may be trying to tie himself to the franchise even more.

“There are zero proposals in Chicago right now that have the Bears, you know, actively working on them. But there are four sites where developers and/or City Hall are gearing up to make another go at the Bears. They’ve all been batted about before, some publicly, some not so publicly. But those are, like we said, in Bridgeport (Guaranteed Rate Field), where if the Chicago White Sox move either to the 78 or to this new Railyards proposal that Justin Ishbia is pushing, you know, that opens up that area. It’s owned by the state through the Illinois Sports Authority already. So some have this idea, including Sterling Bay, and like we said, Caleb Williams’ father, Carl Williams, is now involved in that, to bring the Bears there on the lakefront just to replace Soldier Field.”

Pinning down when this began hasn’t become clear. All this is known is that Williams aligned himself with Sterling Bay, a developer that has done tons of work in downtown Chicago, including McDonald’s Global HQ.

“It’s still a little unclear how he got involved. You know, he is a developer himself. He’s involved in a kind of like a sports performance, like almost like a youth training facility somewhere. But he has shown up with Andy Glore CEO of Sterling Bay. You know, they’ve built up Fulton Market. They had the failed proposal of Lincoln Yards. Prominent developers in Chicago that have had some setbacks recently, but they’re still around. And Sterling Bay is working with Justin Ishbia on his plan. Somewhere along the way, Caleb Williams’ father, Carl Williams, got involved.”

Some speculate that Sterling Bay is hoping to use Caleb Williams’ popularity, through his father, to get a meeting with the Bears. A bit sneaky, perhaps, but certainly effective.

Caleb Williams may no longer have an angle.

Part of the advantage that his father and Sterling Bay had was that Bears president Kevin Warren was the one primarily interested in hearing proposals for a downtown stadium. It is pretty obvious that this has been his endgame for years, since he pivoted the team away from Arlington Heights to pursue the museum campus three years ago. That obviously didn’t go anywhere for several reasons, but Warren’s ongoing relationship with Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson suggested he hadn’t given up on the idea. If anybody would’ve been intrigued by Bridgeport, it would be him.

The problem is he isn’t the one calling the shots anymore. Recently, the Bears made changes to their negotiating team with Springfield last month. Part-owner Pat Ryan became the one to speak with government power brokers with assistance from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Warren appears sidelined. If that is the case, then Carl Williams may have lost their best chance to pitch the Bears on Bridgeport. Most believe Ryan and Goodell are focused on getting a deal done for Arlington Heights.

This situation is certainly complicated.

It was no secret that several competing parties have made pitches to the Bears about putting a stadium in different locations. Probably the most consequential have been various groups from Chicago who are working hard to prevent an Arlington deal from going through. They want to keep the team in the city and have been scrambling for solutions. The two most notable were the Michael Reese Hospital site, which the Bears don’t like due to infrastructure issues. The other is the South Works, where U.S. Steel used to be. Neither gained much traction.

Bridgeport feels like it might be a solid compromise. It’s just 5 minutes south of Soldier Field and has already been a neighborhood built around a sports franchise for years. The Bears could build a state-of-the-art stadium on the site of the demolished Guaranteed Rate Field and then revitalize the neighborhood with amenities to attract fans. Since it remains downtown, the revenue possibilities would be more extensive. No doubt that is a big reason Caleb Williams and his father might be interested in being part of it.

Presuming the necessary legislation passes this month, they will have a chance to pitch the Bears. It better be a strong one, because Arlington Heights feels like the heavy favorite at this point.

The Chicago Bears felt like a pretty secure team with their 5-2 record going into this week. A road game in Seattle against the defending-champion Seahawks felt important but not essential to their season. Has that changed thanks to the results of Sunday’s action? Ben Johnson may have reasons to think so. Things just got way more interesting in the NFC North after the Detroit Lions took down the undefeated Minnesota Vikings 19-15. Suddenly, the division has grown much tighter, as has the margin of error for all four teams.

How much so? If the Bears win on Monday night in Seattle, they will reach 6-2, take 2nd place in the division, and sit only a half-game back of the lead. Conversely, if they lose, they drop to 5-3, assume 8th place in the NFC, and are out of the playoff picture entirely. That is how brutal the division situation has become. The Bears can still have a perfectly solid record and not be good enough to reach the postseason. It tells you how tough those losses to Minnesota and Green Bay were for them earlier this year.

Ben Johnson must have urgency in this game.

There can be no resting on that great win last week over the Patriots. As impressive as it was, it doesn’t help their overall situation much. Stacking wins in the NFC is far more crucial. The Seahawks are currently the gold standard in this conference. They hold the crown and continue to play as if they fully intend to keep it. They’re 3-1 at home this season, with their only loss being a narrow one to the San Francisco 49ers. The Bears are 2-1 on the road this year, but Carolina and Atlanta aren’t nearly as inhospitable as Seattle is.

This is probably the most challenging task of the season for Ben Johnson. Mike McDonald runs one of the best defenses in the league. Meanwhile, Seattle boasts the best wide receiver in football with Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Navigating those two massive challenges is vital to any hope of an update. The good news is the Bears got major reinforcements with the arrival of Jeffery Simmons. He gave the Seahawks problems last season when facing them with Tennessee, and he’s surrounded by better players this time. The key will be the running game.

Seattle is 6th in the league against it, but #1 against the pass. It is their only “weakness.” Johnson will have to do it without Kyle Monangai, who remains injured.

Caleb Williams certainly has incentive to play well.

Everybody remember the last time he played Seattle. It was that ugly affair on Thursday Night Football in 2024 when he got sacked 7 times and only put up 3 points. Lots of people gave up on him after that performance. So much has changed since then. He’s grown a ton as a passer, and this time he’ll have Johnson guiding him. A vast improvement over Shane Waldron and Thomas Brown. All three of Seattle’s losses this season came down to the same thing: turnovers.

They had 10 combined giveaways in those three games. The Bears have 4 takeaways in the past two games. They’ve been well-coached at creating them. With Simmons in the mix, it figures to help unsettle quarterback Sam Darnold a little more. He has a history of serving up interceptions when he’s under duress. That should be the primary goal for the Bears defense. Then it becomes a matter of whether Johnson’s offense can put up the 21+ points it will likely take.

The Chicago Bears made their big move ahead of the trade deadline by acquiring Jeffery Simmons from Tennessee. Most assume the only other possible move they could make would be to try to lure Khalil Mack out of Los Angeles from the Chargers. It doesn’t feel like the team would be sellers at this point. However, unexpected opportunities sometimes arise. You wouldn’t think an AFC disaster would have anything to do with the Bears, but circumstances have made it so.

The Baltimore Ravens went into Sunday healthy at quarterback for the first time in what felt like ages. Just hours later, they were victims of a catastrophe few teams ever want to think about. Lamar Jackson, who’d only just returned from a lengthy absence, injured the thumb on his throwing hand. He was immediately declared out and is expected to go on Injured Reserve. It got worse, though. Not long after that, Tyler Huntley, their dependable backup, also left the game with a foot injury that was later revealed to be turf toe.

Suddenly, the 4-4 Ravens will likely not have either of their top two quarterbacks. With undrafted rookie Joe Fagano as their only remaining option, many are wondering whether the team might go hunting for help on the trade market.

That is where the Chicago Bears come in.

It is common knowledge that Baltimore’s offensive coordinator is Declan Doyle. Prior to this year, he was the Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2025. He has direct ties to both backups, Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum. Each has more starting experience than Fagano and will likely have a solid understanding of the scheme Doyle runs, which is similar in many ways to Ben Johnson. Would the Ravens be willing to gamble on one of those two to help keep their season alive?

In the past, the Chicago Bears haven’t seemed overly interested in trading Bagent or Keenum. They like the depth they have at quarterback. It certainly served them well when Caleb Williams went down with his hamstring injury earlier this year. That said, things have changed since then. The Simmons trade has emptied much of their draft coffers. General manager Ryan Poles might be keen on finding ways to accumulate more capital. If Baltimore is willing to offer a decent pick for one of them, it might be something he’s compelled to consider.

Who would Baltimore prefer?

Bagent is younger and more athletic than Keenum. That might be something Doyle prefers to utilize. On the other hand, Keenum is a wily veteran who’s learned offenses on the fly before. If anybody can get ready in a short period of time, it’d be him. The problem is Williams might not be happy about trading him. Keenum’s been a great mentor and sounding board for the past two years. Losing that during such an important season isn’t something Williams would be thrilled about.

Much will depend on the Ravens’ offer, if one is made. If they go for something like a 6th round pick, that won’t get it done. The Bears won’t upend a strength of their roster for such a pittance. If Baltimore wants one of them, they’ll have to make it at least a 5th and probably a little more. Are they willing to trust Fagano against Jacksonville next week and beyond?

Adding Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears defense feels like a dream come true. It felt like the unit was trending in the right direction this season, but it still lacked that extra something to become truly formidable. Adding arguably the best defensive tackle in the sport should have the desired effect. Simmons will make everything around him easier. Running up the middle becomes harder. Edge rushers should get far more one-on-one opportunities with him drawing double teams. The secondary could see more interception chances with him crowding the pocket.

However, it feels like not everybody has grasped the nuclear button defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has at his fingertips. Since the season began, the Bears’ most successful pass rush alignment involved Montez Sweat and Austin Booker on the edges with Dayo Odeyingbo on the inside. Most of Odeyingbo’s pressures and sacks have come from the defensive tackle spot. Now try to imagine what Allen will do once he returns from Injured Reserve. Suddenly, the Bears will have him and Simmons on the interior for pass-rush downs.

People already saw what this could do when Odeyingbo played in Indianapolis next to DeForest Buckner. It was devastating.

The Chicago Bears defense has created a pick-your-poison.

Having one good interior pass rusher makes things so much easier on defense. Now imagine having two. While a defensive end by designation, Odeyingbo’s greatest value to the team is on the inside. Having Simmons in the lineup means opponents are almost certain to double-team him constantly. They’ll have no choice. This means Odeyingbo will be one-on-one against an opposing guard. Don’t forget the man is 6’5″ with 35-inch arms. Most guards don’t exceed 33 inches and aren’t the best athletes. That is why they don’t play tackle. That is a mismatch.

This alignment allows the Chicago Bears defense to dictate the matchups they want. If they identify one of the opposing guards as a liability in pass protection, they will use Simmons to occupy the other side and have Odeyingbo go after him all game long. There is a reason the Colts had 51 sacks in 2023. Nobody could figure out how to handle that Buckner-Odeyingbo combination. Now the Bears have their own version of it. This defense could be something completely different after the bye week.

Allen had something similar once before.

For a brief time as defensive coordinator in New Orleans, he had the duo of Sheldon Rankins and David Onyemata. In 2018, they combined for 12.5 sacks and helped feature the #2 run defense in the NFL. Persistent issues in the secondary held that unit back from being elite, but the New Orleans Saints still finished 13-3 and were a horrendous non-penalty call away from the Super Bowl. You can bet Allen has clear memories of how well that configuration worked eight years ago.

Simmons is better than either of those players were. Odeyingbo could see more time on the inside than ever before, especially if the Bears end up trading for edge rush help, as rumors keep insisting they might. That would give them a trio of Simmons, Odeyingbo, and Grady Jarrett in the middle with Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, and a third option (Khalil Mack?) on the outside. That is nasty stuff.

The Chicago Bears made the biggest splash yet ahead of the 2026 NFL trade deadline when they pulled off the blockbuster for Jeffery Simmons. However, there is still over a week to go before the final date arrives. That is more than enough time for something else to happen. There is no shortage of potential players who could be moved. Plenty of teams have reached a point where they could be in sell mode. There is no shortage of potential buyers, too. One of them, the New York Giants, might be about to do the Bears a huge favor.

It was reported yesterday that Giants head coach John Harbaugh tried to swipe Simmons out from under Chicago by calling Tennessee Titans ownership directly. It didn’t work. Still, it appears the NFC East leaders are seeking to make a splash. Their fallback option is certainly a big one. According to insider Benjamin Allbright, it’s looking like New York has become the heavy favorite to land star Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. Not only would this be a big help for their offense, but it’d also do the Bears a huge favor.

The New York Giants getting Taylor helps Chicago.

The running back became an obvious source of trade rumors after the Colts began selling off top veteran assets like Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner this past week. It felt like only a matter of time before Taylor was next. The only question was where he’d end up. Among the teams mentioned the most as an obvious landing spot is the Minnesota Vikings. They’ve struggled running the ball this season and need something to get their offense going. Taylor represents the ideal solution.

For a time, it looked like they were the favorites to get a deal done. It was made worse by growing buzz that the Green Bay Packers might also get involved, as the Josh Jacobs situation worsens. Either outcome would’ve been bad for the Bears since they must battle both teams for the division, and both have already beaten them once this year. If this New York Giants move comes to fruition, it ensures neither of those teams lands a true difference-maker on offense, keeping the Bears’ job somewhat easier.

Taylor’s exit would leave the options thin.

The running back market doesn’t appear overly strong this year. Taylor is far and away the biggest fish. Many have speculated Saquon Barkley is also an option, but it sounds like Philadelphia has no plans to make him available. This is probably in part because quarterback Jalen Hurts was lost for the season to blood clot issues. Outside of that, the pickings are slim. Tennessee’s Tony Pollard might be the only one left, and the Titans sound reluctant to consider dealing him because it would hurt the development of quarterback Cam Ward.

Time will tell. If the Giants do close this deal, as Allbright suspects, it would be a considerable benefit to the Bears. It would have meant that Chicago improved significantly while the rest of the NFC North remained static. That is a massive victory for this organization in what is easily the NFL’s toughest division. Much will be determined after the latest round of games over the next 48 hours.