The path to what all of Bears nation hopes is a memorable 2025 campaign begins Monday with the start of the team's voluntary offseason program.
"I am really excited to watch this evolve from a group of really good players to a team," Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren told ChicagoBears.com.
The Bears bolstered their roster this offseason, acquiring three Pro Bowlers in left guard Joe Thuney, right guard Jonah Jackson and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. They also landed top free agent center Drew Dalman, promising defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and receivers/return specialists Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay.
The effort to upgrade both sides of the ball, especially in the trenches, was led by general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson.
"It is an amalgamation of really passionate, tough, physical players who will fit the roster Ryan and coach Johnson are building," Warren said, "and who will embrace being coached by coach Johnson and the assistant coaches in a tough manner. It is not for everyone, but this is a group that wants to get better."
Preparing for free agency, the Bears did not anticipate that Thuney or Jackson would be available via trade or that Jarrett would be released by the Falcons. But when presented the chance to land the three Pro Bowlers, Poles acted quickly.
On the first day of the league year March 12, he dealt a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Chiefs in exchange for Thuney and a 2025 sixth-round selection to the Rams for Jackson. The Bears agreed to terms with Jarrett hours after he was cut by Atlanta.
"That is what makes Ryan and his team and his staff and coach Johnson special," Warren said. "We are building an environment here of being organized and diligent and available. It just does not happen. You have got to plan ahead, and one of Ryan's many strengths is that he is very organized. It just goes back to that preparation."
Warren is also involved in the player acquisition process, meeting regularly with Poles and Johnson to provide support and encourage them to dream big.
"I am there as a resource," Warren said. "I just want to make sure for everyone that I can continually pressure test that we are being aggressive enough and we are thinking big enough. That is something I just want to make sure that we are doing.
"I tell Ryan and coach all the time: 'Just dream and forget about the financial cost and the resources for the time being. Tell us what is the right thing to do for this franchise and then we can figure out how to make it happen.' I want to create an environment that has creativity, that is diligent, that is hard working and does not start off thinking, 'Oh no, we will never be able to do that.'"
Although Poles and Johnson have only worked together for a few months, Warren is not surprised that the two have meshed so well.
"They are the same person," Warren said. "They are very bright, their intelligence level is high, they are curious, they have a high football IQ, they are winners, they are family men, they are similar in age and their journey was similar.
"They love the game of football. They love the Bears. They have a lot of similar attributes, and I think now they know they are in an environment where they can write their own future, and we have got the greatest fan base that we are building this for."
Warren revealed that he knew that Johnson was who he wanted to hire as Bears coach within the first 10 minutes of his job interview.
"He was very organized," Warren said. "He was passionate. He was transparent. He was not being coy. He was diligent. He made it clear he wanted to be the head coach here at the Chicago Bears.
"He is really smart, and in talking with players that he has coached, rarely do you have that combination of intellectual horsepower with someone who can relate with a players in a manner that a player looks forward to. Players who played for him, they do not want to let him down. A lot of it comes down to they know how hard he works. It was clear. That came across in the first 10 minutes that this is the person that needs to lead our football team and be the next coach of the Chicago Bears."
