NFL columnist names Chicago Bears HC Ben Johnson as one of the most anticipated debuts to watch in Week 1 of the 2025 season
The 2025 NFL schedule release is exactly one week away and like every other big league reveal, it's turned into appointment television for NFL Network.Opponents have already be revealed for all 32 teams but when and where those matchups will take place has still yet to be announced and will be next week on Wednesday, […]
The 2025 NFL schedule release is exactly one week away and like every other big league reveal, it's turned into appointment television for NFL Network.
Opponents have already be revealed for all 32 teams but when and where those matchups will take place has still yet to be announced and will be next week on Wednesday, May 14th.
For the Chicago Bears, the team will be kicking off a new era once again under head coach Ben Johnson starting in Week 1 with a lot of excitement and expectations building again for the team's upcoming season.
In preparation for the schedule release reveal, NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadiha named Ben Johnson as his most anticipated Week 1 debut. Other analysts and reporters went with highly-toted rookies such as Travis Hunter or first-time starters such as Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but not Chadiha.
He, like many others around the league, are interested in seeing what this new Bears team actually looks like under Ben Johnson, because the only thing that matters is how a team performs on the field.
"Ben Johnson was the hottest name in the head coach hiring cycle and he’s taking over a team that was supposed to do big things last year with 2024 first overall pick Caleb Williams operating at quarterback. The Bears have done plenty to help Johnson succeed this offseason, including rebuilding their interior offensive line, selecting a couple playmakers in the draft (tight end Colston Loveland and wideout Luther Burden III) and adding more talent to the defensive line. All Johnson has to do now is go out and win consistently in the extremely competitive NFC North. It won’t be an easy task but Week 1 will give us some idea of where Johnson can take this group." – NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha
The Bears have had an eventful first offseason under Ben Johnson's guidance overhauling the offensive line and adding more offensive weapons for quarterback Caleb Williams to turn things around in Year 2.
How Ben Johnson and the Bears handle all these new additions and look to remold the team's franchise quarterback will be a major 2025 storyline, and it's going to matter more beyond just Week 1.
Last season, the Bears kicked off the year with a 24-17 victory in Williams' first game as a Bear against the Tennessee Titans. Then, the team went on to lose 12 of their 16 remaining games in route to another fourth-place finish in the NFC North.
Winning Week 1 is important to establish a strong standing out of the gate, but what truly matters is how the other 16 games go. It's a long season to battle through, and the Bears learned that the hard way in 2024.
If this team wants to be taken serious under Ben Johnson, they'll need to prove the Bears can create sustained success by stacking wins and avoid falling into any losing streaks. It's a tough thing to do in the NFL, but Johnson is planning to have his squad prepared to take on any challenge.
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Everyone in the building will be happy to hear this.
