Windy City Gridiron
Entering the 2025 season, the hope was that the foundation laid by Ryan Poles would prove solid and that Ben Johnson could quickly use the raw materials present to build up towards success.
It looks like Poles has once again selected high end finishes before properly reinforcing the base.
In a season already marred by questionable depth, bad DL play, and poor discipline – who can we rely on moving forward? What can Ben Johnson build upon while he retools this roster?
It’s hard to see a car crash, and want to look at it closer, frame by frame. But that’s what we are going to do today. With that, I ask:
My criteria – which may differ from your criteria – is that these players/coaches need to be viewed as being critical to the Bears for at least the next five years. That rules out vets like Thuney, Jarrett, and Byard, as well as players that don’t appear to be in the plans after the current contract like Braxton Jones and Cole Kmet.
I think the most clear cornerstone we need to establish is Ben Johnson (Age 39, signed through 2029).
Despite the early returns, Johnson comes from strong pedigree, has already earned high marks from those around the organization, and has presented well in his media opportunities. Johnson has the makings of a coach that can balance creativity with leadership, and that alone should make Bears fans confident that he is the center of the Bears for the foreseeable future.
Next up is Caleb Williams (Age 23, signed through 2027 with club option for 2028).
While I think the Bears would move on from Caleb before Ben, there should be a lot of confidence that Williams will be the face of the franchise moving forward. His rookie season was measured against the remarkable standards set by Daniels and Stroud, so his performance hasn’t gotten the due it deserves. He has already proven to be elite in arm talent and evading pressure, and is showing improvement in accuracy and processing. Assuming that the current trend continues, the marriage between Johnson and Williams is the bed rock for the Bears future.
From there, things get a little murkier. However, I think there are a few players that are both young and proven (enough) to suggest that they are cornerstone talents.
The first of which is Jaylon Johnson (Age 26, signed through 2027).
While JJ’s likely season ending injury might put a little more doubt on his cornerstone status, he has still shown to be an elite level player when healthy. And elite level players have been few and far between on the Bears roster in recent years. Expect Johnson to remain a mainstay on this defense moving forward.
Next, I have Rome Odunze **(Age 23, signed through 2027 with club option for 2028).
Rome’s rookie season was up and down, with him finishing with a respectable...
