5 way-too-early bold predictions for Bears under Ben Johnson as new HC

The Chicago Bears hired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson during the 2025 NFL offseason to be their next coach. They fired Matt Eberflus during the 2024 season and promoted Thomas Brown to interim head coach, but Johnson will replace him in the full-time role. Here are some bold predictions for the team after their splash hire.

Bold predictions for Bears with new HC Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson

#1 - Make the playoffs

The Chicago Bears finished with a disappointing 5-12 record during the 2024 NFL season, despite their talented roster and key offseason additions. Replacing Matt Eberflus with Ben Johnson is potentially a huge upgrade to their team as a whole, so they should be able to compete for a spot in the playoffs.

#2 - Win NFC North division

The NFC North was the toughest division in the NFL last year, with three of the four teams making it into the playoffs and two of them winning at least 14 games.

Stealing Johnson from the Lions, as well as their defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn also likely leaving for the head coaching job, suggests that they could regress. The Vikings also have questions to answer with their quarterback situation, so the Bears could go last to first in this competitive division next year.

#3 - Caleb Williams MVP candidate

Ben Johnson worked with Jared Goff for the Lions to develop him into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL after being mediocre with the Los Angeles Rams previously.

Caleb Williams has much more raw talent than Goff has, so working with an elite offensive mind like Johnson could unlock his potential. If he maximizes his perceived value as a clear No. 1 overall pick, he could be in the MVP conversation, especially with elite offensive weapons around him.

#4 - Top 10 rushing

One of the staples of Johnson's success in Detroit was his dominant rushing attack, where the Lions ranked sixth in the NFL last year in rushing yards per game.

The Bears ranked just 25th in the same category, so his schemes could help them to take a massive step forward. A Top-10 finish in rushing next season, or better, is not out of the question.

#5 - DJ Moore All-Pro

DJ Moore had a down year in 2024 as compared to his first campaign with the Bears in the season before. He recorded just 966 receiving yards, but was impressive with 1,364 the year before, despite playing with passing-limited Justin Fields as his quarterback.

With a theoretically improved Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown being an All-Pro in Johnson's system, Moore could be in line for a massive 2025 NFL season.