The Chicago Bears wrapped up their final training camp practice open to fans on Tuesday, with head coach Ben Johnson meeting with the media ahead of the team’s final stretch of preparation for the 2026 NFL season.
When asked about some of the biggest differences between this year’s team and last season’s group, Johnson initially laughed at the mention of “last year” before addressing the question.
“That’s that dreaded word, ‘last year,’” he said.
Earlier this year, Johnson made it clear that the Bears
were not building off what they accomplished in 2025, but instead were approaching the new season with the mindset of starting from square one.
Still, Johnson went on to explain that he sees this year’s group as one forging its own identity and path forward.
“It’s a completely different group, and we’re going back to work. I’m proud of the way they’re working right now. I think they’re doing a great job of accepting the messaging every single day. We’re forging our new path. It’s a new chapter of Bears football right now.”
This new chapter comes after the Bears established a distinct identity last season as the “comeback kings” and the “cardiac Bears.” That identity was defined by their ability to consistently pull off fourth-quarter comebacks, the clutch play of quarterback Caleb Williams, a ball-hawking defense that led the league in takeaways, and a dominant run game on offense.
But what will the Bears’ identity look like in 2026? Johnson says the team is still in the process of establishing one. However, there were already glimpses of what this year’s team could become during the Bears’ preseason matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Even though we lost the game last week, it was on our tape. We have a defense that’s swarming. We have a defense that’s fighting for every blade of grass. I think our little guys are doing a great job tackling in the open field for it being at this point of camp right now. That’s what we want to be about.”
Johnson sees a similar mentality starting to take shape on the other side of the ball.
“Offensively, we’ve got that push the pile mentality, and that showed up again last game also.”
Johnson is watching to see how those traits carry over from game to game.
“What I look at, first and foremost, after every game is how our identity is starting to forge itself and identify itself on game day.”
The Bears are still defining what this team will look like in 2026, but glimpses of what they could become have emerged throughout the preseason. Johnson and his staff will have Thursday’s joint practice with the Tennessee Titans and Saturday’s preseason finale to evaluate the group before the focus shifts to the regular season. How those traits carry over when the games begin to count will ultimately determine what this new chapter of Bears football looks like.
