There was a time when the Chicago Bears allowing general manager Ryan Poles to hire his second head coach was viewed as a mistake. Then, Poles followed his decision to fire Matt Eberflus by hiring Ben Johnson.
In his first season, Johnson led the Bears to an 11-win season and first place in the NFC North.
They know they have work to do to be even better this coming season, and Poles said he and Johnson have grand visions for the Bears beyond that.
Bears’ Ryan Poles Does Not Mince Words About Ben Johnson
Ryan Poles, Ben Johnson Have Grand Vision for Bears
Poles and the Bears endured three seasons of losing records, finishing fourth in the North each time. Johnson delivered the first winning season and playoff berth for the Bears under Poles’ watch, and just the fourth postseason appearance since they went to the Super Bowl in 2007.
In an interview with SiriusXM’s Jeff Joniak, Poles spoke candidly about why Johnson resonates with the team.
Poles said Johnson “just wants to be great.”
“He wants a championship. Whatever we’re going to do is driven by that. He wants perfection. He wants to create a team, a dynasty, something that’s going to sustain for a long time. His standards are so high,” Poles said on SiriusXM NFL Radio on August 2.
“That’s why the pairing between the two of us is so good. We’re not doing things just to be a good football team; we’re not doing things to have a good season. We’re doing things to be a championship-caliber team for a very long time. We want to change this whole organization and take it to a level that it’s never been before. We talk about it all the time. That’s a daily approach.”
Poles then cited Day 1 of training camp this year, when he fielded a question about the Bears being the hunted rather than the hunters.
The Bears do not see it that way.
“We have a ‘hunt’ mentality all the time,” Poles said. “Whatever mountain we’re trying to climb, we’re going to the top. So, whatever’s behind us, we don’t really care about it. It’s where we’re going. And again, that’s the daily approach.”
Johnson noted the Bears are the No. 1 regression candidates when asked about Jacksonville Jaguars HC Liam Coen’s comments noting how much attention Caleb Williams has received.
The remarks were about a lack of attention on the Jaguars, not as a slight to Williams.
That does not matter. Johnson heard what he needed to from the question, and his response was indicative of the kind of mentality that Poles was talking about. Johnson will not let the Bears become complacent, and that surely includes Poles.
To that end, the Bears’ next set of training camp practices should include days with pads, which will speak volumes about the current state of the roster, where several battles are playing out.
