In the shadow of the NFC’s louder narratives, the Chicago Bears are crafting a compelling case as Super Bowl contenders. At 8-3, they sit atop the NFC North, a mark that feels almost accidental amid the skepticism that trailed them into 2025. Yet here they are, with the league’s sixth-ranked scoring offense and a quarterback in Caleb Williams who’s flashing MVP-caliber poise in clutch moments. The ultimate spark for Chicago, however, has been a first-year head coach who’s not just scheming plays but reshaping the entire franchise’s pulse.

Ben Johnson arrived in Chicago on January 21, 2025, plucked from the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator throne where he’d engineered three straight top-five scoring attacks. The Bears, fresh off a dismal 5-12 slog under Matt Eberflus (fired midseason

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