Bears coach Ben Johnson is re-examining his offense after a disappointing performance against the Chiefs in their preseason finale. Johnson expressed frustration with the team’s lack of progress, citing “sloppy” football and poor decision-making. He believes the playbook might need to be scaled back for the upcoming season opener against the Vikings.
Johnson took issue with quarterback Caleb Williams’ fumbled handoff, incomplete pass, and indecisiveness in the pocket. The coach stated that the offense needs to get better quickly, as it’s not showing signs of improvement despite Johnson’s promises to revamp the system.
The pressure on Johnson is mounting as he tries to fix a flawed offense built around quarterback Williams, who is 23 years old and has limited experience playing in the NFL. Johnson must ensure Williams adapts to the more complex passing game, which was less challenging in college.
Johnson plans to assess the team’s performance over the next few weeks, potentially scaling back his scheme to make the Bears functional for the start of the season. This adjustment might be a blow to initial optimism about the offense’s potential, but Johnson remains committed to finding solutions.
Source: https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2025/08/23/bears-coach-ben-johnson-rips-disappointing-starting-offense-considers-narrowing-playbook