In case people haven’t already noticed, new head coach Ben Johnson is not what you’d call subtle. Since taking over the Chicago Bears in January, he has been very deliberate with his words. There is no dancing around subjects. When he has a message to deliver, he will give it to you straight. Caleb Williams, Cole Kmet, Rome Odunze, and D.J. Moore found that out at his opening press conference when he told them to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Those who know him said he’s intense and a grinder. That is proving true.
He proved it again on Thursday when he and GM Ryan Poles spoke to the media about recent roster additions, headlined by three new offensive linemen. At one point, Johnson was asked what he could do to help make life easier for those men as they transitioned to Chicago. The head coach seemed to balk at the idea of making anything easy for anybody. In his mind, football is hard. Anything in life worth doing is hard. He has no intentions of making things easy for them. They will be put under the same demands he puts on himself.
No shortcuts.
Ben Johnson understands what it takes to excel at this level.
Sure, talent is a big part of it. However, most players can’t be expected to motivate themselves to work hard. The head coach must be demanding and persistent in everything they do. Every little detail matters in this game. One of the big reasons Matt Eberflus was fired was his inability to stay on top of them. Players started cutting corners and skipping steps. That is why they kept falling apart late in games. It is why the offensive line kept making mind-numbing mistakes whenever opponents started blitzing or stunting heavily. They weren’t well-prepared.
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That won’t happen under Ben Johnson, at least not without serious consequences. His first order of business is to ensure the Bears stop beating themselves, which is often the critical step before beating other teams. It doesn’t matter if certain guys may not like it. That is the new reality. Better embrace it.
@nonobaddog — Sometimes, both things can be true. I have found only one OT (offensive tackle) currently playing in the NFL, other than Kiran Amegadjie –and that’s the Denver Broncos Mike McGlinchey. There may be other BIG men at different positions (Detroit’s DJ Reader is a 335 lbs. DT was the “other” player I mentioned, previously) currently playing in the league. So as not to cause more confusion — there have been other NFL players who have returned, and even played well, after this injury/surgery (Dwight Freeney comes to mind, but he weighed only 268 lbs. — and that 50… Read more »
@TGena I seem to recall you writing that only two players had ever returned from this injury when Kiran was drafted. And now you write that it’s only one. What’s up with that?
@ManGod — Thanks for that information. I don’t doubt the beliefs of your good doctor — but what we’re talking about here, are BIG men –with Kiran Amegadjie and Mike McGlinchey and Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe and others. These “300 lbs. Plus” athletes don’t have the same degree of body control that the smaller athletes in both the NFL and NBA have. Example: Safety, Jamal Adams seems to have recovered pretty well from a similar surgery. But he’s 6’1″, 213 lbs. Historically, these much larger players injure other parts of their bodies presumably while compensating for their original patalla-related… Read more »
@TGena….according to Dr. David Geier Orthopedic Surgeon in sports medicine who is one of the top in his field states “….80% of elite athletes returned to play at the same or higher level after their repair surgery…” That was based on the results of 22 NFL players who suffered 24 Patella Injuries and repair surgeries between 1994 and 2004. As to players who have suffered and returned the list includes Victor Cruz, Jimmy Graham, Morris Claiborn…so while it can be a devasting injury, it no longer considered a death kneel or the same career ending injury it was once thought… Read more »
@ManGod — You’re right. Kiran Amegadjie “wouldn’t be the first OT to suffer this injury and make a full recovery” — he’d be the SECOND. The Broncos’ Mike McGlinchey is the only other NFL OT that I have been able to find that has even returned to play — let alone reclaim his pre-injury level of performance — after this devasting injury/surgery/recovery triad. Possibly, you know of some other success stories among these hobbled NFL big men — If you do, please share. ____________________________ Also, consider what has been written recently about the SF 49ers’ 2025 NFL draft plans —… Read more »