LAKE FOREST, Ill. (104.3 The Score) – Two years ago at this time, it was all about to change for the Bears.
Sitting at 4-2, the Bears prepared to play a Commanders team led by a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels. Disaster then struck for the Bears in the form of a last-second loss on a Hail Mary, the first of 10 straight losses for Chicago that led to the dismissal of then-coach Matt Eberflus and an overhaul inside Halas Hall.
Then-rookie Bears quarterback Caleb Williams expressed his desire to be coached harder. In hindsight, it seems he was calling for a head coach like Ben Johnson. Now two years later, the Bears are in a completely different position as they once again sit at 4-2 and are preparing to face the Patriots (4-2) on Thursday Night Football.
This time around, the Bears appear built to last. That stems largely from the connection between the 24-year-old Williams and Johnson the second-year head coach in Chicago.
“It’s been awesome being able to have him as a teacher, as a coach and just growing our relationship between each other," Williams said.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bears selected Williams No. 1 overall before the Commanders took Daniels at No. 2 and the Patriots selected quarterback Drake Maye at No. 3. The Vikings took quarterback J.J. McCarthy at No. 19 overall before the Broncos selected quarterback Bo Nix at No. 12.
Williams is proving himself as the top quarterback in the class in the minds of many. Maye is certainly in his echelon as well, even with his inconsistent start to the 2026 season. What's clear is the Bears and Patriots each landed a star quarterback.
Guiding Williams in his rise is Johnson, who took the Bears job in large part because he believed in Williams’ future. In that hiring cycle, the Bears considered a number of head coach candidates, including Mike Vrabel, who landed with the Patriots more than a week before Johnson was hired.
In Williams and Johnson, the Bears have two individuals wired the same way.
Williams is the type of competitor who just last week found motivation in what he viewed as erroneous reporting on the severity of his hamstring injury. He then had one of his best performances in the NFL in leading the Bears to a 31-23 win over the Falcons.
For his part, Johnson is the fiery leader who started turning the page from the Bears’ win over the Falcons the moment their flight back from Atlanta touched down late Sunday.
"That's what the good teams do, and that's what we're looking to do here this week," Johnson said.
Johnson and Williams know they can count on each other, and the Bears are following their lead. Chicago believes it can win any game so long as it has Johnson pushing Williams to be great and Williams at the helm of Johnson's system.
There's no more connection more important in the NFL than the one between the head coach and quarterback. The Bears are set up for long-term success and championship hopes because of what they have with Williams and Johnson paired together.
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
