The first year under Ben Johnson was a success for the Chicago Bears. He helped the team win their first NFC North title since 2018 and get their first playoff win in 15 years for the franchise.
After some really down years, Chicago finally got the head coaching hire right and the future here is bright. Right away, you saw the impact that Johnson could make with the team, establishing his culture and getting players to buy in. The foundation he set on Day 1 continues to be strong and the future is bright in the Windy City under the new head coach.
Now, after the season Johnson is earning praise from the NFLPA.
Ben Johnson earns an A grade
Johnson was a finalist for the Coach of the Year award in the league and although he didn’t win, the recognition was appreciated. But on Thursday, Johnson earned something arguably better, the respect of the players in the league.
The annual NFLPA grades were released as ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler put them out. It includes overall grade for the head coach and for Johnson, he was one of nine coaches who earned an A. Check out the grades below:
NFL HC grades from the NFLPA report cards, via @kalynkahler:
Sean McVay: A+
Dan Quinn: A+
Mike Macdonald: A
Andy Reid: A
Ben Johnson: A
Dan Campbell: A
Mike Vrabel: A
Aaron Glenn: A
Kevin O'Connell: A
Nick Sirianni: A
Mike Tomlin: A
Sean McDermott: A-
Dave Canales: A-
Zac… https://t.co/k6tNsFH38Y— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 26, 2026
This shouldn’t be a huge surprise. The Bears were one of the top teams in the NFL this season and Johnson was in charge of that. The ability to turn this team around and go from worst to first is an impressive feat. He was also the talk of the national media as well.
The early returns on the Johnson hire are great. Now the Bears have to find a way to sustain this success moving forward and that begins with the 2026 offseason.
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