“I wanted to play in Ben’s offense,” Raymond said to Dan Pompei of TheAthletic.com. As for the reasoning, Raymond was also very clear. Johnson is “extraordinarily creative, and honestly, you can be in any spot on the offense, and he will find a way to get you the ball. Just to be under him is a great privilege.”

Raymond played for Johnson in Detroit when he was the offensive coordinator. Judging by this move, his loyalty was with the coach, not the team. At 32 years old, Raymond is trying to milk the last good years of his NFL career.

Raymond’s numbers under Johnson

In three years under Johnson, Raymond had 99 catches, for 1,320 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 13.3 yards per reception. He was never atop of the depth chart, but Johnson found ways to utilize him in an effective way.

It seems like Raymond really valued that side of Johnson, hence his wish to reunite with him. Raymond is just 5’8″ and 180 lbs, but used properly, his speed can make a difference in the Bears‘ offense.

How is the Bears’ WR room looking?

Rome Odunze is the clear-cut WR1 of the team right now. Luther Burden III comes next in the pecking order, and Raymond is likely to be put in the slot position, at least for the next season.

Also, the Bears have two great tight ends in Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet, who are as good as receiving as they are blocking. Ben Johnson also loves using his tight ends, so they are a big part of the passing game.

The latest recognition came from his former team and head coach Ben Johnson, who spoke with reporters during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

“We’ll miss a ton. The guy’s a phenomenal football coach,” Johnson said. “The coaching staff a year ago, and really similar to this year, included many coaches outside of my circle that I didn’t know very well, so he was really hired through reputation. We had a lot of productive conversations before he decided to come on board.”

The importance of Bieniemy and what he achieved

Bieniemy was a vital member of the Bears’ coaching staff last season as running backs coach, helping the team win the NFC North and advance to the divisional round of the playoffs, contributing his experience while working with young players and sharing development responsibilities with Caleb Williams in offensive execution.

“I was just blown away by the impact he had not only in that position room, D’Andre Swift had probably the best year of his career, and seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai had a hell of a year himself, not just that room but the entire offense. He brings a demanding presence. The standard is the standard with Eric Bieniemy, and those are big shoes to fill.”

Bieniemy spent nine years as an assistant coach and coordinator with Kansas City before pursuing other opportunities ahead of the 2023 season, which is an added benefit because he understands the team’s identity and is expected to contribute to another championship pursuit.

The move that could strengthen the Chiefs

Making coaching staff moves alone is not enough. While looking to strengthen the roster with another star following Patrick Mahomes’ knee injury, Andy Reid and the Chiefs could consider adding a veteran quarterback as depth during Mahomes’ recovery timeline, with Tua Tagovailoa emerging as a possible option.

According to Bill Barnwell, the Chiefs are viewed as a potential landing spot for Tua Tagovailoa if he becomes available: “Tagovailoa with an upper-middle-class QB contract was a problem. Tagovailoa at the veterans minimum, which is what a new team would likely pay him in 2026, could turn out to be a very useful contributor in the right scheme. It’s also incumbent on Tagovailoa to pick the right landing spot to rebuild his value in advance of potentially landing a starting job in a more advantageous situation in 2027. Could he be the quarterback for the Chiefs in September before Patrick Mahomes returns from his knee injury?”

Bears‘ HC Ben Johnson appeared on PFT Live, and he spent no time shading the Packers once again. “Who likes the Packers? The Bears and the Packers, they should not like each other,” Johnson explained. “I think that’s gonna make this rivalry, this game, something that people are going to watch here going forward.”

The Bears were 2-1 against the Packers in 2025, including the Wild Card Round, where the Bears eliminated Green Bay in a thrilling game. Right now, it’s not only Packers vs Bears, but also Johnson vs LaFleur.

Johnson and LaFleur have no love for each other

During the interview, Johnson was asked about his relationship with LaFleur. “We don’t talk, I’m good with it.” Then, the Bears HC was asked if he has ever reached out to LaFleur. His reply: “No.“

The fact is these two coaches are not friends, and likely will never be. Ben Johnson, however, has continued to charm the Bears fans with his great coaching and attitude. This is something the Bears have long waited for.

This is not the first time Johnson has aimed at the Packers

During his introductory press conference, Johnson said he enjoyed beating the Packers twice a year. After beating them in the NFL Playoffs, Johnson screamed “F— the Packers! F— them!” Johnson actually didn’t apologize for that at all. He instead said, “I don’t like that team.”

Repeating their achievements—and even improving—could depend on Ben Johnson having all his key players available. D’Andre Swift has emerged as one of the quarterback’s main weapons and recently made a strong revelation about his future in the Windy City.

“I have no idea, but hopefully I did enough for them to want me back because I know I don’t want to go anywhere else,” the RB told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I hope it plays itself out that way. I love the city, I love the coaching staff and the men that I work with. That’s out of my control, but if I had it my way, I’d be back. I don’t want to play nowhere else.“

Swift’s relationship with Ben Johnson

The arrival of Ben Johnson as head coach of the Chicago Bears significantly boosted a roster that had been in decline. One of the biggest beneficiaries was D’Andre Swift himself, who made it clear what Johnson represents for him at this stage of his career.

“First of all, Ben always believed in me as a player, so just him giving me opportunities was great,” Swift said. “The more opportunities I’m given, the more I can make stuff happen.”

Additionally, he stated that he will strive to give even more in the upcoming season: “I can do more. I wish I would’ve been able to contribute a little more in the passing game. We’ve got so many pass catchers on the field, so whenever it does come up, I try to make something happen with it, but I do know I could do more.”

Swift’s outstanding performance

In the 2025 NFL season, D’Andre Swift cemented his role as a cornerstone of the Chicago Bears’ offense, serving as a vital safety valve and primary weapon for Caleb Williams.

Swift’s explosive playmaking was on full display as he recorded 223 carries for a career-high 1,087 rushing yards, finding the end zone with 9 touchdowns. His efficiency was a key driver for the team’s success, maintaining an impressive 4.9 average yards per carry.

By consistently moving the chains and taking the pressure off his young quarterback, Swift proved to be one of Williams’ most reliable and productive targets in a resurgent year for Chicago.

The game’s outcome could have gone a different way, but safety Kamren Curl had other plans, picking off a pass from Williams intended for DJ Moore. When addressing the moment, the quarterback didn’t shy away from responsibility, and his frustration was evident in the postgame aftermath.

“I got to go back and watch it, haven’t seen it and don’t really know, but in the moment, I saw the front-side safety down, front-sided concept,” the QB said. “Ended up getting hemmed up a little bit and so moved on and had D.J. going over top over all of it. Just a miscommunication between him and I. Tried to flatten him off under the safety and he kept it vertical, from what I saw in the moment.”

While the loss is painful given the expectations that had been built, Caleb Williams took responsibility but also made it clear that the foundation has been laid to build something special in the Windy City.

“It’s tough. In these moments you feel that you let your team down,” he also added. “It’s a good lesson learned for us, first time being in this situation for me and for us as a team. I’m excited for what’s to come, but obviously going to go back and watch this and figure out how I can be better.”

A dramatic finish sealed the fate of the Bears

At a moment when the Bears had cut the deficit to just one point against the Rams, head coach Ben Johnson chose to kick the extra point to tie the game, rather than risk a two-point conversion that could have put Chicago ahead with only seconds remaining.

Once the loss was official, the question from the media was inevitable: why did Johnson choose to kick it. On that decision, the Bears’ head coach pointed to his past experiences as the basis for the call.

“Thought about it,” he said in his postgame press conference. “Probably what played a little bit of a factor was our goal-to-go situations hadn’t gone very clean. Our inside the five plan hadn’t worked out quite like we’d hoped. I just felt better about taking our chances there in overtime.”

It’s well-documented that LaFleur and McVay are friends, so McVay might be looking to get revenge, as Johnson eliminated LaFleur’s Packers last week from the NFL Playoffs. McVay was asked if the spoke with LaFleur this week. “What would you guess?” McVay said with a smile. “No, we watch the tape. We do our work and Matt is a very close friend of mine.” Also, LaFleur’s brother, Mike, is the Rams’ offensive coordinator.

As for Johnson, he is not worried about a possible McVay-LaFleur alliance. “I think every week everyone tries to share what they had from the week before with your next opponent. I think that’s common practice,” Johnson said. “That’s something that you just keep on doing. Like I said all along, there’s a million ways you can do things, a million plays you can call. We’re going to do what we feel like is best for that particular week for the player that we have going against the opponent.”

Ben Johnson believes too much in his playbook

The reason that Ben Johnson got the Bears head coach job was because of his huge, incredible offensive playbook. As he said, “there’s a million ways you can do things, a million plays you can call.” However, the NFL is also a league where you get studied to the last detail.

McVay is a well-known obsessive coach when it comes to details, and so are his coordinators. Hence, Johnson must really have a million ways to do stuff or he will be in a world of trouble once coordinators figure him out. Especially Chris Shula, who is getting interviews with different teams to become a head coach. However, Johnson has yet to be proved wrong.

Johnson vs McVay could be offensive football cinema

McVay has been known as an offensive genius ever since he stepped into the NFL and even more as the Rams head coach. Johnson is the NFL’s brand-new superior offensive mind, so this is a coaching matchup made in heaven.

It will be unstoppable force against another unstoppable force. Given how these teams have performed lately, it will come down to which offense is more polished and ready to get deep into their bag to take the other team by surprise.

Chicago had to overcome an 18-point deficit to stay alive in the 2026 NFL playoffs. The Bears, led by Ben Johnson, delivered an astonishing second half in which they shut down the Packers’ offense and secured a spot in the Divisional Round.

After the final whistle, Ben Johnson approached Matt LaFleur—who has since addressed his future with the Packers—to greet him. However, the exchange was limited to a cold handshake without eye contact, further proving that the rivalry between the two coaches and teams remains as intense as ever.

What did Ben Johnson say about the Packers?

Following their 31-27 win over Green Bay, the Bears returned to the locker room to celebrate the dramatic victory. In a video later uploaded to YouTube, Ben Johnson appeared visibly energized and emotional, delivering a five-word message directed at the Packers that quickly caught fans’ attention.

“F*** the Packers! F*** them!” Johnson said at the beginning of the video. His excitement was evident, and it was also clear that he is far from a fan of Green Bay.

When Johnson joined the Bears for the 2025 NFL season, he previously said he enjoyed defeating Matt LaFleur twice a year while serving as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. Now, he has managed to do so as the head coach of Chicago.

During the regular season, the Bears went 1-1 against the Packers. However, Johnson secured his second win of the year over Green Bay at the most important moment, eliminating LaFleur’s team from the 2026 playoffs.

Who will the Bears face in the Divisional Round?

After defeating the Packers in the Wild Card round, the Bears advance to the Divisional Round, but they do not yet know their next opponent in the 2026 NFL playoffs.

If the San Francisco 49ers defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bears will face the Los Angeles Rams. However, if Philadelphia beats San Francisco, Chicago will take on the defending Super Bowl champions in the Divisional Round.

As odd as it sounds, no quarterback in Bears history has ever recorded a 4,000-yard passing season. Caleb Williams has a chance to achieve it in Week 18, but Ben Johnson does not believe the team should be focused on helping him reach that mark.

“If it were to happen that’d be great, but I think he would agree with me when I say our No. 1 objective is to win this ball game,” Johnson said on Williams seeking the 4,000-yard mark. “Whatever that takes, that’s our goal. We’ll see where it’s at at the end of the year. But that’s tertiary.”

Can Caleb Williams reach the 4,000-yard mark in Week 18?

The Bears are set to face the Detroit Lions in Week 18 in a tough NFC North matchup. While Detroit has already been eliminated, Chicago has not, and its final seed in the NFC is still undecided.

If the Bears win, they would secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC. If they lose and the Eagles win against the Commanders, Chicago would fall to the No. 3 spot, which is why beating the Lions is crucial.

Entering Week 18, Caleb Williams is 270 yards away from reaching the 4,000-yard mark. While that number is not impossible, it is still a challenge. Even though the Lions are eliminated, Williams may not have an easy path to that milestone.

In Week 2, when the Bears and Lions faced each other earlier this season, Williams threw for 207 yards. He has surpassed 270 passing yards only three times this year.

A more likely scenario

While reaching 270 passing yards against Detroit seems difficult, Caleb Williams could still hit a more attainable milestone and etch his name in Chicago Bears history.

Williams needs just 109 passing yards to break the franchise single-season passing record. That mark is currently held by Erik Kramer, who threw for 3,838 yards in 1995.

Johnson did not hesitate to elevate Shanahan into the highest tier of play-callers in the NFL. “Kyle Shanahan is one of the best, if not the best in the business in terms of calling plays at a high level for as long as he has,” Johnson said, emphasizing the sustained excellence behind San Francisco’s system.

“You always like to turn on that San Francisco tape each week, whether you’re playing them or not, just to look at some of the stuff that they’re doing,” Johnson explained. He also noted how the offense has evolved, “it’s changed… they might be a more dangerous passing offense right now.” The numbers back that up, with San Francisco averaging 26.1 points per game (9th in the NFL), while riding a five-game winning streak and remaining unbeaten at home since Week 10.

When strengths collide at Levi’s Stadium

The matchup places the Bears’ defense against one of the league’s most efficient offenses at a critical point in the season. Both teams enter Week 17 at 11–4, making the contest as much a measuring stick as it is a potential playoff preview. Recent history adds another layer, with the 49ers holding a 38–13 win over Chicago in their most recent meeting last December in San Francisco.

Chicago’s defense has been solid but tested, allowing 23.6 points per game (19th in the NFL) and 5.9 yards per play, while surrendering 6.7 yards per pass attempt and 5.0 yards per rush. The Bears are 5–3 on the road, though their most recent away game ended in a 28–21 loss to the Packers, a result that highlighted some of the challenges they’ll need to clean up against Shanahan’s offense.

At the center of the Bears’ defensive effort is Tremaine Edmunds, who leads the unit with 95 combined tackles and has added three quarterback hits. Chicago will likely lean on Edmunds’ range and communication to counter an offense designed to stress defenses horizontally and vertically.

LaFleur said “absolutely not” when asked about if there was extra motivation after the win against Ben Johnson. This was asked because of Johnson’s comments saying he enjoyed beating LaFleur twice a year when he was the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator.

Well quarterback Jordan Love didn’t agree with his coach. “Yeah, it meant a lot to everybody. But obviously, we’ve all known the comments that were out there so it is what it is. This is a game that means a lot to everybody. It’s an NFC North matchup. Obviously, Bears were No. 1 seed. So, it’s a huge game. We’ll see these guys here in a couple weeks again.” Love has his coach’s back.

Ben Johnson was somewhat unapologetic

Instead of going back on his words or apologizing, Johnson pretty much avoided the topic altogether. He was more adamant that his revenge will come in a matter of weeks.

“I think it’s awesome to have this rivalry alive and well right now. We’ll get another chance at it here in two weeks,” Johnson said after the game. And that is true, LaFleur, Love and the Packers won the first round, but Week 16 will pit them against the Bears once again, but this time in Soldier Field.

It was a close, tough game between two really good teams

Packers won 28-21 but the Bears had the tie if it wasn’t for a Caleb Williams end zone interception with less than 30 seconds to go. In fact, the Bears were very successful in the second half after the first one ended 14-3 in favor of Green Bay.

To be fair, Green Bay deserved the win when looking at the stats, but the Bears almost pulled a miraculous comeback by pure grit. In two weeks time, the Packers can knock out the Bears, or Chicago can exact revenge on Green Bay.

LaFleur spoke to the press and he wasn’t eager to speak too much about the incident. “Just a quick handshake,” LaFleur said about it. “We’ll see them again in two weeks.” Not that many words, but the latter part of the quote is very telling. Pure divisional rivalry there.

The pot was initially stirred by Ben Johnson, who jabbed LaFleur as soon as he got hired as the Bears coach. He said he enjoyed beating the Packers coach twice a year when he was the Lions’ offensive coordinator. However, LaFleur now rubbed it off saying no extra satisfaction was taken after the win. “No, absolutely not. It’s Packers-Bears. It’s a great rivalry. Certainly, with what was at stake in regards to positioning in the NFC North, that’s the only thing that matters.”

Ben Johnson loves football

With Ben Johnson as the Bears head coach, he stayed in the NFC North. This division is almost synonym with football weather and great rivalries. Ben Johnson is loving it all.

“I do think there’s some aura that comes with playing here and competing here. I love it for our guys. This is what the football gods made football to be, cold weather in December like this,” Johnson said. “Green Bay, Chicago, I think that’s outstanding. I think it’s awesome to have this rivalry alive and well right now. We’ll get another chance at it here in two weeks.“

The NFC North is a huge battle

The Bears were the number one seed, and after yesterday’s loss, they got downgraded all the way to the seventh seed. It was a very tough loss for a team that was riding on big momentum.

Now the Packers lead the NFC North with a 9-3-1 record, while the Bears have a 9-4 record. However, the Lions, Johnson’s former team, is just behind at 8-5. Right now is a tough division, made in football heaven.