Windy City Gridiron
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By now, we've all checked out Bill Zimmerman's latest Bears Banteer podcast, where Rick Smith, Ben Johnson's agent, pulled the curtain back on the process that led Johnson to the Chicago Bears. We've had a week to digest Johnson's press conference and hear his many radio and television spots. We've also likely heard Caleb Williams' excitement now that he has one of the best young minds in the NFL to learn from.
I've been fired up from the second the news about Johnson broke, and the more I think about what the future may hold, the more I'm filled with anticipation.
I can't wait for Bears football.
I've even softened my cynical stance on chairman George McCaskey.
In 2024, he did some things that had to be done. First, he signed off on firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. The offense never came around. A few weeks later, he okayed the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus.
There was some hemming and hawing behind closed doors on Black Friday, but he eventually made the decision for the betterment of the franchise.
In his introductory press conference's opening moments, Johnson said something piqued my interest.
"I want to thank the search committee here in Chicago. It was clear to me from the beginning that the priorities were straight. "There's only one way for us to have success here, and that's the right people in place. George [McCaskey], thank you for trusting the people that you've hired. It is perfectly clear that you're willing to provide all the resources necessary for us to build a sustained winner here in Chicago."
McCaskey "trusting the people" he's hired, tells me that he's letting team president Kevin Warren — the man he brought in to run the franchise — actually run the franchise. McCaskey is admittedly just a fan, so allowing Warren and his three decades of experience to take the lead has been a long time coming.
I still have concerns about general manager Ryan Poles, but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that many of his personnel choices were influenced by his previous head coach's desire for defense. Let's see how Poles bolsters the roster with Johnson writing the grocery list.
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