If your current vision of Summer Break Ben Johnson has him chilling poolside somewhere– umbrella drink, shades, zinc oxide across his nose — it might be time for an update. The new Chicago Bears coach may have welcomed the end of the offseason program this week with the final round of organized team activities wrapping up Wednesday. But Johnson is also not the type to just shut it down and veg for the next six weeks.
In fact, since his earliest days as an offensive quality control coach with the Miami Dolphins, Johnson has subscribed to a summertime routine he hopes to maintain during his first extended break as an NFL head coach.
“I have always viewed the summer as a great opportunity to get ahead a little bit,” Johnson said.
Because of course he has.
“I think you can get some creative juices flowing as you start studying some of the tapes from around the league and some other places — maybe college ball. I’ve had a process that I’m committed to.”
That’s a subscription Johnson has on auto-renew. So, yes, while he did acknowledge he’ll “probably get away for a minute” between now and the start of training camp in July, Johnson also will likely be spending plenty of time inside Halas Hall.
“I’ll be in and out of the office a good bit,” he said.
After all, there’s more than enough work to be done. Planning. Heavy lifting. Some creative-juice sessions. All of that. And with the Bears pushing to become a winning football team again as soon as possible, every bit of progress matters with Johnson believing they can walk into training camp next month with a bit of wind at their back.
An early head start
Johnson realizes he inherited a 12-loss team that needed a hard reset. He also understands the confidence the Bears organization showed in him this winter when they hired him to become the overseer and catalyst of Caleb Williams’ hoped-for breakthrough. Thus, over the past four months, Johnson has committed himself to raising standards and setting expectations for his team. And he has been active in formulating a blueprint for Williams’ Year 2 ascent.
The early returns from Lake Forest? So far, so good with Johnson closing the books on the offseason program with a feeling of accomplishment.
“As these guys walk away, they understand what the expectation level is.” Johnson said. “I hope they also understand our coaching staff a little better as well.
“We haven’t fully come together as a full team yet — just offense, defense, special teams. But we made some headway there in getting to know each other. Really, training camp is going to be a lot about building trust. And we got a head start there.”
That head start should provide momentum when the Bears hold their first training camp practice July 23.
“When we come back,” Johnson said, “it’ll be about the fundamentals and the techniques. They’ll know what that’s about. How we want to practice. What’s allowed. What’s not allowed. I think really, they’re going to take that and run with it — our vets will.
“We’ll just be able to focus on getting good at football plays from then on out — and situations. I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made. … We have a lot of work still to come, but we’re right on track.”
Growth chart
For the Bears to stay on track, Johnson’s connection with Williams must build and a natural click must become obvious for anyone spending significant time around the training camp practice fields in late July and early August.
Williams has had a lot piled onto his plate this spring. And the hope, as camp intensifies, is that the second-year quarterback will be able to display a heightened level of comfort and consistency that help the offense pick up speed on the way to the regular season.
During OTA red-zone work Tuesday, Williams had passes caught in or near the end zone by teammates Josh Blackwell and Major Burns. Which, of course, is far from ideal. (Blackwell and Burns are defensive backs who provided early-June learning lessons for Williams.) Those inevitable “hiccups,” as Johnson called them, provide avenues for improvement. Same goes for Williams’ occasional struggles absorbing the playbook or his need to rep certain plays a few more times.
“That’s part of the growth process,” Johnson said.
Johnson also understands now that each day on the grass with Williams will provide a few jaw-dropping highlights.
“There’s always a throw or two every single day,” Johnson said. “(Plus) the movement stuff outside of the pocket. It’s what we thought coming into town here — the ability to create (is there).”
‘Ready for prime time’
By this point, Williams has checked the arm talent and playmaking artistry boxes in Sharpie. Which is why the belief in his long-term potential remains so high. But the QB1 checklist extends much deeper. And it will be up to Johnson and his staff to guide the Williams through training camp with an eye on pushing for meaningful growth.
Williams’ ability to maintain his artist’s beret and paint palette to make magic happen on an open canvas will be key. But the Bears will also ask their starting quarterback to don the OR scrubs regularly, needing to become precise with the scalpel as a surgeon of opposing defenses.
Working to find the proper balance between both skill sets will be critical. But Johnson has shown enough awareness already to understand his demanding coaching of Williams also must allow for some freedom.
“Sometimes you get wrapped up when you’re in the multiple-play-call game of being in the perfect play all the time for the perfect coverage and that look of the defense,” Johnson said. “And really with him, it doesn’t matter so much what the play call is. If it’s the perfect play, then it’s great. It’s there. If it’s not, then he’s able to find a way to make it work. So I think there’s a little bit of that that’s going on right now and figuring all that out. But he has done a great job so far digesting.”
Johnson’s continued work in fostering Williams’ growth will be closely watched throughout training camp and the preseason with the Bears augmenting their three-game exhibition schedule in August with joint practices against the Dolphins and Buffalo Bills.
The Bears coach also will build camaraderie with a coaching staff he strongly believes in, a group he feels has a good blend of youthful energy and experienced wisdom from assistants with a variety of backgrounds that help enliven the football conversation.
“This coaching staff means business,” Johnson said. “They know what good football looks like. They know what winning football looks like. And they’re committed to bringing that here.”
Johnson’s commitment will include many summer visits to 1920 Football Drive in Lake Forest to set his team up for success.
In assessing one offensive turnover during an end-of-game period from the latter stages of minicamp last week, Johnson was forthright with his spring progress report.
“We’re not ready for prime time yet,” he said. “That was loud and clear over the last three weeks.”
The Bears didn’t need to be ready for prime time in May or June. But they will need to be ready in September — their season opener comes on “Monday Night Football” against the Minnesota Vikings. The bridge between here and there is being built, with Johnson pushing to make that trek as smooth as possible.
