Bears formally announce the additions of three veterans to the trenches and the common theme between them show Ben Johnson's true vision
There seems to be a different energy brewing at Halas Hall around the Chicago Bears based on the recent additions the team has made over the last few days.At the start of the new league year, the Bears officially announced the additions of Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Grady Jarrett to the roster and allowed […]
There seems to be a different energy brewing at Halas Hall around the Chicago Bears based on the recent additions the team has made over the last few days.
At the start of the new league year, the Bears officially announced the additions of Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Grady Jarrett to the roster and allowed them to speak with the media.
General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson each fielded questions as well beforehand following the first wave of free agency working together.
Already you can tell what kind of team Ben Johnson is looking to construct in Chicago and the addition of these three players specifically carry that message.
Starting with Thuney and Jackson. The addition of these two via trades are perhaps the best moves Ryan Poles has ever made to the Bears offensive line during his tenure as the team's general manager. Thuney is a back-to-back All-Pro with the Kansas City Chiefs and previously played with the New England Patriots as well. Jackson was a former Pro Bowler back in 2021 with the Detroit Lions and gets the opportunity to reunite with Johnson again.
As for Jarrett, he's played a decade of high level football for the Atlanta Falcons and was a team leader in that locker room from Day 1. Finding out a guy like that was available this week sparked an interest into adding him to what the team was building.
All three guys are incredibly experienced both on the field and in a winning locker room. Thuney has won four Super Bowls throughout his nine year career, Jackson helped in the organizational turnaround with the Lions, and Jarrett's competed in numerous playoff games and a Super Bowl throughout his career.
"That does rub off to the rest of the locker room," Johnson explained. "We're going to define what it's going to look like in terms of our meeting process, our walk-through process, our practice habits, what it looks like off the field, because that all translates to winning on the field. All three of these guys have done that at a high level."
Thuney perhaps brings the best winning-culture experience to the table after previously playing for two of the most dominate dynasties in the history of the sport.
"Just being in those places felt like everyone was pulled in the same direction. All that matters is winning," Thuney said. "I can really feel that here, starting from ownership to management to coaches, just meeting everybody. There's such an intense and purpose to win and it just makes me excited being here."
If the most recent Super Bowl proved anything, building through the trenches is the first step in creating success in the NFL these days. Which is why the Bears were so deliberate in adding proven, veteran, talent to both sides of the front this offseason.
But it's not just about finding the talent. It's about finding leaders who understand what it takes to be great and lead their teammates to be better in the process.
"When I had the opportunity to join this team… me being somebody who wants to be in a position to compete for championships [and] encourage the younger guys around me and really just share my experience and my hunger for greatness to the others that want to achieve it, I'm in a special place at a special time," Jarrett said.
Adding players like Thuney, Jackson, and Jarrett is how this team is going to reach that next level and it's clear to see Ben Johnson's true vision for this franchise just through these first few acquisitions he's helped bring in.
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