Ben Johnson sends clear message to offensive standout after seemingly making a strong case for himself in preseason opener
The Chicago Bears had multiple standout players from the preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns, including RB Salvon Ahmed. After the game, head coach Ben Johnson had a clear message on what he wants to see next.
The Chicago Bears had a sluggish start against the Cleveland Browns in the preseason opener on Saturday but turned it into an electric finish in which the team scored 34 unanswered points with multiple takeaways on defense.
Even without the majority of the starters in action, the Bears had plenty of standout players in this game including WR Kaden Davis, DE Jamree Kromah, CB Beanie Bishop, among others. It was a great start, but it was just game one of three for these depth players to potentially earn a spot on this roster.
Which brings us to running back Salvon Ahmed, who had a strong outing in his first NFL game since November of 2024. As good of a game as it was, head coach Ben Johnson sent a clear message to Ahmed that also extends to other roster hopefuls on this team.
Ben Johnson raises expectations for RB Salvon Ahmed and what it’ll take to earn a roster spot
For a player that’s been out of action as long as he has, there was no visible rust for Ahmed during Saturday’s game. Roschon Johnson got the start at running back with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai sitting out and handled a lot of carries early in the game. When Ahmed went out there, though, it was eye-opening.
Ahmed had two carries for 17 yards and caught all three of his targets, including one that turned into a 49-yard touchdown.
“He certainly has that slashing mentality where he’s hard to bring down in space,” Johnson said of Ahmed after the game. “That showed up today and showed up in practice throughout camp so far.”
It was a strong showing, but standing out in one way during a preseason game isn’t enough to earn a roster spot, something that Johnson made clear after the game in his evaluation of the RB position.
“I think we now we feel good about those top two backs right now and where they’re at. So, the battle for three, four, five, whatever that looks like, a lot comes down to special teams and a lot comes down to how do you separate yourself from those top two guys,” Johnson explained. “What’s your skillset? How’s it different?”
Looking at the RB production as a whole in this game, you can tell that this is going to be a intriguing battle to watch all offseason long. Brittain Brown and Coleman Bennett each ended up in the endzone as well while Johnson led the team with 34 rushing yards. The good news for Ahmed is that he turned enough heads to earn more attention.
“We’ll continue to challenge him to find a defined role there on special teams where he can help us out the most there,” Johnson added. “Then, pass protection. How can we continue to improve? When you’re a smaller as a running back, that’s always what I’m looking for is how well stout are we holding up to a blitzing linebacker as well.”
All this to say, it’s far to early to call crown a RB3 after one game. Ahmed shined in his return and now has his marching orders, as does the rest of this RB room, to see who can earn a spot in this backfield.
