Windy City Gridiron
Week 1 is finally here and with it comes the official start of the long-anticipated Ben Johnson era in Chicago. Even before Johnson was hired as the Head Coach of the Bears, fans couldn’t help but imagine what his offensive creativity could do with the players on the Bears’ roster. Now that we’ve had teases throughout training camp and preseason, it’s time to turn our attention toward what this group of playmakers will actually put together in the year ahead. That’s why I’m introducing a weekly series dedicated not only to tracking the production of the Bears’ key offensive players this season, but also directly comparing their production to a player from Johnson’s past. So, before a single snap is played, let’s do some table-setting in this preview edition of Benchmarking Da Bears
Caleb Williams
Comp: 2022 Jared Goff
Benchmark Statistics:
Ben Johnson took over as the Lions’ Offensive Coordinator in 2022, so naturally we’ll look to Jared Goff’s first season working with Ben as our point of comparison for Caleb Williams this season. This obviously isn’t a 1:1 as Goff entered 2022 at an entirely different stage of his career than Williams will enter 2025 in, however, it’ll ultimately be this version of Goff that will serve as the benchmark for fellow number one overall pick. That said, I think most Bears fans would be ecstatic for Williams to have this kind of production in his second season.
D’Andre Swift
Comp: 2022 D’Andre Swift
Benchmark Statistics:
This was obvious. As the only player on this list who has actually played in Ben Johnson’s offense previously, D’Andre Swift can best be compared to himself. This is especially true when considering how disappointing the 2022 season was for Swift, who saw himself slide down the depth chart behind Jamaal Williams, who carried the ball to the tune of a thousand-yard season. Swift will be looking for redemption this season as he reunites with Johnson.
Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, etc.
Comp: 2024 David Montgomery
Benchmark Statistics:
Swift’s diminishing performance in Detroit saw him depart after the 2022 season with his replacement coming in the form of former Bear, David Montgomery. While Monty has been very impressive as one half of the Lions’ two back tandem alongside Jahmyr Gibbs, injuries slowed him last season. This comparison is sure to be the loftiest, and so we are going to be creative and group the Bears’ expected RB2 AND RB3 (and/or others) together to see how their production can hold up to what Montgomery was able to do last season.
Cole Kmet
Comp: 2021 T.J. Hockenson
Benchmark Statistics:
The pass-catchers are where things really get interesting and that starts with the tight end room. Many are excited to see what rookie Colston Loveland can do, but Cole Kmet still has a lot to offer both Loveland and Caleb Williams as the young players develop. For his comparable player, I’m going to go beyond Ben Johnson’s OC days...
