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No Moral Victories for Ben Johnson
After a breakthrough season ended in overtime, Ben Johnson delivered a blunt reminder: success doesn’t roll forward, standards do.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson didn’t sound like a coach interested in perspective when he stepped to the podium at Halas Hall for the final time this season.
In the days since the Bears’ 20–17 overtime loss to the Rams in the Divisional Round, much of the conversation around Chicago has leaned toward optimism, from me included. A wildly successful first season, a foundation laid, a team ahead of schedule.
Johnson made it clear Wednesday that he doesn’t see it that way at all.
“There is no building off of this,” Johnson said. “We go back to square one. We’re back at the bottom again. If you feel otherwise, you’re probably missing the big picture. We’ve gotta start from scratch, we’ve gotta start with the fundamentals.”
That wasn’t frustration talking. It was philosophy.
Johnson acknowledged what the Bears accomplished in 2025, but he refused to let the accomplishment blur the standard. The season produced wins, momentum, and belief, but it did not produce the one thing Johnson is chasing. A championship.
“We won games and put ourselves in good position, but ultimately we came up short,” Johnson said. “Our guys will learn from that.”
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