LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) 鈥� The Chicago Bears thrilled the city in coach Ben Johnson’s first season.
They pulled out one comeback win after another on their way to capturing the NFC North championship after finishing last in the division. They advanced in the playoffs for the first time in 15 years by in a wild-card game before in the divisional round.
Now, it’s time to start building on everything they accomplished. Then again, maybe building isn’t the right word.
鈥淭here is no building off of this,鈥� Johnson said on Wednesday. 鈥淲e go back to square one. We鈥檙e back at the bottom again. That鈥檚 really all 32 teams. If you feel otherwise, you鈥檙e probably missing the big picture.鈥�
The Bears are obviously starting from a stronger position, with Caleb Williams on his way to becoming a franchise quarterback after setting the team’s single-season passing record in his second year and Johnson looking like the coach to lead him to that next level. It’s a big change from last January, when the team was reeling after finishing 5-12 and firing former coach Matt Eberflus along the way.
Now, for the first time since he was hired in 2022, general manager Ryan Poles heads into the offseason with a contender rather than a rebuilding project.
鈥淵ou just have more constraints,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t the same time, I don鈥檛 think the process changes. You鈥檙e gonna identify the guys that fit what we want in our football team, which coach hit, and you just keep trying to acquire those players. We know what they look like, we know how they act, we know how they talk, and we鈥檒l continue to do that.鈥�
Poles had a big offseason a year ago.
He transformed a struggling offensive line by trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signing center Drew Dalman. He also drafted Ozzy Trapilo in the second round. The Boston College product emerged as the starting left tackle, only to tear the patellar tendon in his left knee in the wild-card game against Green Bay.
Poles didn’t have a specific timeline for his return, though he figures to be out long term after having surgery.
鈥淚鈥檓 sure it鈥檒l be deep into next (season), with the injury,鈥� Poles said. 鈥淪o, we鈥檝e had a conversation with him. He knows this is part of his journey that he has to overcome. I have a lot of faith in him and our staff to get him back ready to go whenever that is.鈥�
Trapilo was one of four major contributors drafted by Poles this past year.
The Bears also hit big with tight end Colston Loveland in the first round, receiver Luther Burden in the second and running back Kyle Monangai in the seventh. Loveland, the No. 10 pick out of Michigan, led Chicago in receptions (58) and yards (713) and tied for the team lead in touchdown catches (six). The speedy and elusive Burden had 652 yards receiving. And the hard-running Monangai rushed for 783 yards as part of a productive tandem with D’Andre Swift.
The Bears have some decisions to make at safety with All-Pro Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker set to become free agents. The 32-year-old Byard, who led the league with seven interceptions, said this week he’d like to return. And Poles would like to have him back.
鈥淚 have no problem saying that鈥檚 a player that we would like to have back,” Poles said. 鈥淏ut, again, when you add the other safeties into that mix and all the other decisions we have across the roster, with cap restraints and things like that, it鈥檒l be a challenge. But that鈥檚 part of what we do.鈥�
Poles also acknowledged a need to improve the line on a defense that ranked 29th overall and 27th against the run. Chicago tied for 22nd in sacks with 35. But the Bears appear to have the two most important pieces in place 鈥� the coach and the quarterback.
鈥淚鈥檓 really encouraged about the steps he took this year,” Johnson said. “I鈥檓 Caleb Williams鈥� No. 1 believer. I have a lot of faith in him and what he鈥檚 capable of doing and the player that he鈥檚 still striving to become.鈥�
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