Bears HC Ben Johnson is already facing the reality after upsetting overtime loss to the Rams in NFC Divisional Round
The Chicago Bears came up short after a magical first season under Ben Johnson.
And just like that, the Chicago Bears 2025-26 season as come to an end with an NFC Divisional Round overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
It’s disappointing to have something end so abruptly, but such is life in the NFL. The Bears conclude a tremendous first season under new head coach Ben Johnson and the reaction around the world remains the same. This team isn’t going anywhere.
“Our guys are feeling it right now,” Johnson told reporters after the loss. “They all believed, man. They all believed all year long that we could find a way to win each and every week. So, it’s disappointing [to end the season] like that. I am proud of the group. It’s a special group and I believe that to my core. When you’re in the room with a group of men for the last time in the locker room, it’s just not going to be the same going forward. I appreciate all of them. It was a special year, and this will hopefully be a feeling, in this locker room, that we won’t forget.”
Reality is starting to quickly set in for Ben Johnson
Year one as a head coach in the NFL was a successful one for Johnson. His team, despite an 0-2 start in the regular season, finished the season with an overall 12-7 record that included a division title and a home playoff win. You can’t take that away from him, or this team.
But, this season is now in the past. It’s a tough reality to face so quickly but it’s part of the job and Johnson is already accepting that reality and all that comes with it.
“Next season is next season. It’s a whole different group and a whole different chapter,” Johnson added. “We’ll have to write a whole brand new story. That’s the thing about this, you put in all this work and you sacrifice and trust the people around you, and you can’t take any shortcuts. I wish I could say that this is momentum from year one and it doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t work that way. Honestly, I don’t even want to talk about next year, yet.”
Now, the Bears can join 28 other teams that have been eliminated and soon it’ll be back to the drawing board with the countdown on for the 2026 season.
Ben Johnson, and Caleb Williams, gave Chicago something to be proud of and excited for
Ultimately, the Bears sent a statement to the rest of the league that this organization is back and not going away anytime soon. Chicago has something special building with Johnson leading the team and Caleb Williams at quarterback.
This first season working together produced a lot of incredible moments that will never be forgotten but there’s also a lot to still learn and improve from. That’s the exciting part of this league, especially when you have a head coach and quarterback working this closely together.
“I think we’re going to be able to watch this tape from this first year together and I expect us to really learn from a lot of things,” Johnson explained. “And be better next year.”
It’s a bittersweet end for the Bears and everyone should be eager to see what this team does next.
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