The Chicago Bears have had an impressive offseason so far. They landed the top head coaching candidate from the past few hiring cycles and have made significant upgrades to both the offensive and defensive lines — and the NFL Draft is still over a month away. The Bears are turning heads in both local and national media, but the question is: who’s really behind these moves, especially the improvements in the trenches?
Most assume it’s a combination of GM Ryan Poles and new head coach Ben Johnson. However, some believe there’s been a shift in power at Halas Hall. Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports, who has strong connections around the league, suggested on The Colin Cowherd Podcast that Johnson, not Poles, is now calling the shots in Chicago.
“It’s obvious Ben Johnson now runs the organization,” Cowherd said. “By acquiring a guard and a center, he’s basically telling Ryan Poles that his picks weren’t good enough.”
“It’s obvious Ben Johnson now runs the organization”
Cowherd compared the situation to other teams where the head coach holds the power, mentioning Mike Vrabel in New England and Sean McVay in Los Angeles. Danny Parkins, a Chicago native and former local media figure now with Fox in New York, agreed with Cowherd. Parkins said he believes the take is “85-95% right” and noted that Johnson’s significantly higher salary than Poles likely plays a major role in the power dynamic.
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Despite the shift, both Cowherd and Parkins agreed that Chicago remains a good situation, with Poles and Johnson appearing to work well together even as Johnson’s influence grows inside the building.
