
Brian Baldinger fascinated to see what offense Ben Johnson builds with Bears
Brian Baldinger fascinated to see what offense Ben Johnson builds with Bears
New Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has plenty of expectations heading into his first year and a very respected resume that shows he's capable of succeeding. Johnson will not only look to turn the Bears back into a winning franchise, but he'll also be responsible for the growth of quarterback Caleb Williams, who looks to become the franchise quarterback for the long-term future.
Having served as the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator since 2022, Johnson put together one of the league's most dynamic offenses that paved the way for their success. Led by a running back duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, while having top receiving threats in wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta, Johnson now arrives in Chicago with weapons in place at the skill positions.
Current NFL analyst Brian Baldinger, like many around the NFL, are interested to see what Johnson does with the weapons he now has with the Bears, which is expected to be a different offense than in Detroit. Speaking to Adam Rank of "The Sick Podcast" during Super Bowl LIX week, Baldinger said he is intrigued by comments Johnson has made since being named the Bears head coach when it comes to their offensive plans.
"Everything that he's saying so far is interesting to me," Baldinger said when talking about Johnson's plans for the Bears offense. "Most coaches have a prefabricated offense or defense, or some gameplan that they want to install. I feel like listening to Ben [Johnson] he's going to literally build this offense around Caleb's strengths. Obviously he's got different strengths than what we just saw from Jared Goff, and Goff just played his best football."
Referring to Johnson as an architect, Baldinger said he would love to see a documentary created around Johnson building an NFL offense.
"I'm really interested to see how this architect goes to work to build an offense," Baldinger said. "I think it would be fascinating in the world of documentaries I would love to see him build an offense from scratch. I've never been part of something like that. I'm kind of curious to see what the foundation is and where it can go."
There is certainly excitement around the arrival of Johnson in Chicago, and the excitement also comes with intrigue for how he'll build around Williams.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hamilton Spectator
24 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Saints receiver Chris Olave brushes off concussion concerns and laughs off trade talk
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Chris Olave, the New Orleans Saints leading receiver in two of his first three seasons, wanted to make two things clear. He is not concerned about the long-term implications of repeated concussions and sees himself spending his entire career with New Orleans. Olave has been a full participant in non-contact, offseason practices and this week's mandatory minicamp, but has not played in an NFL game since last Nov. 3. That was the day he was leveled by Panthers safety Xavier Woods during a downfield route across the middle of the field. Olave remained in a prone position on the field for several minutes, after which he was taken from the stadium to a Charlotte hospital. While he was permitted to return to practice in December, he never returned to the lineup. 'It was tough, man, at first.; I ain't never really sat out that long,' Olave said after practice on Wednesday. 'That was really my first major injury. ... Just not being able to go and practice and go to meetings with my guys was the worst part, but I feel like I'm ready. I was training and lifting and everything in December. So, I feel like I'm good.' Olave has had at least four confirmed concussions in his first three seasons. The first occurred when he was a rookie in 2022 during an Oct. 9 game against Seattle. He missed just the following game and finished the season with team highs of 72 catches for 1,042 yards. During the 2023 season, he did not miss a game after a Week 12 concussion against Atlanta and finished that season with team highs of 87 catches and 1,123 yards receiving. Last season, however, he missed nine games because of two concussions. He sat out just one game after his first against Tampa Bay on Oct. 13 before the Nov. 3 one in Carolina ended his third NFL season. Olave consulted with specialists after the most recent head injury. 'They said I was OK back in December when they cleared me. It was just unlucky situations I was being put in,' Olave said. 'God's got me at the end of the day. I'm not worried about nothing. So, just got to go out there 100% and be ready.' Saints rookie coach Kellen Moore, hired in February after winning a Super Bowl with Philadelphia as the Eagles' offensive coordinator, has largely brushed aside questions about Olave's concussion history. 'I don't worry too much about that,' Moore said. 'We feel really really good about Chris. He's had an excellent offseason, an excellent career so far and (has) an excellent future. 'We feel like we've got a good one in him,' Moore added. So, apparently, do some other teams who've reportedly asked the Saints about their willingness to trade Olave as New Orleans rebuilds from a five-win 2024 season. The Saints also have lacked a proven quarterback since veteran Derek Carr's sudden retirement in May . All three of New Orleans current QBs have less than three season of experience and not a single NFL win. But Olave expressed optimism about those young QBs — rookie Tyler Shough , second-year pro Spencer Rattler and third-year pro Jake Haener. 'The young QBs are good,' Olave said. 'I don't think they're going to come in and have hiccups. I feel like they got a good head on their shoulders. They got a good IQ. They're ready to play NFL ball. So, I'm excited.' Olave also laughed off reports that he's the subject of trade offers. 'It's all rumors, man,' Olave said. 'In the offseason, everybody's trying to have something for clicks. So, I love it here. I love the front office. I love my coaches. I'm excited to be here and I want to be here forever.' ___ AP NFL:


San Francisco Chronicle
26 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Saints receiver Chris Olave brushes off concussion concerns and laughs off trade talk
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Chris Olave, the New Orleans Saints leading receiver in two of his first three seasons, wanted to make two things clear. He is not concerned about the long-term implications of repeated concussions and sees himself spending his entire career with New Orleans. Olave has been a full participant in non-contact, offseason practices and this week's mandatory minicamp, but has not played in an NFL game since last Nov. 3. That was the day he was leveled by Panthers safety Xavier Woods during a downfield route across the middle of the field. Olave remained in a prone position on the field for several minutes, after which he was taken from the stadium to a Charlotte hospital. While he was permitted to return to practice in December, he never returned to the lineup. 'It was tough, man, at first.; I ain't never really sat out that long," Olave said after practice on Wednesday. "That was really my first major injury. ... Just not being able to go and practice and go to meetings with my guys was the worst part, but I feel like I'm ready. I was training and lifting and everything in December. So, I feel like I'm good.' Olave has had at least four confirmed concussions in his first three seasons. The first occurred when he was a rookie in 2022 during an Oct. 9 game against Seattle. He missed just the following game and finished the season with team highs of 72 catches for 1,042 yards. During the 2023 season, he did not miss a game after a Week 12 concussion against Atlanta and finished that season with team highs of 87 catches and 1,123 yards receiving. Last season, however, he missed nine games because of two concussions. He sat out just one game after his first against Tampa Bay on Oct. 13 before the Nov. 3 one in Carolina ended his third NFL season. Olave consulted with specialists after the most recent head injury. 'They said I was OK back in December when they cleared me. It was just unlucky situations I was being put in,' Olave said. "God's got me at the end of the day. I'm not worried about nothing. So, just got to go out there 100% and be ready.' Saints rookie coach Kellen Moore, hired in February after winning a Super Bowl with Philadelphia as the Eagles' offensive coordinator, has largely brushed aside questions about Olave's concussion history. 'I don't worry too much about that," Moore said. "We feel really really good about Chris. He's had an excellent offseason, an excellent career so far and (has) an excellent future. 'We feel like we've got a good one in him,' Moore added. So, apparently, do some other teams who've reportedly asked the Saints about their willingness to trade Olave as New Orleans rebuilds from a five-win 2024 season. The Saints also have lacked a proven quarterback since veteran Derek Carr's sudden retirement in May. All three of New Orleans current QBs have less than three season of experience and not a single NFL win. But Olave expressed optimism about those young QBs — rookie Tyler Shough, second-year pro Spencer Rattler and third-year pro Jake Haener. 'The young QBs are good,' Olave said. 'I don't think they're going to come in and have hiccups. I feel like they got a good head on their shoulders. They got a good IQ. They're ready to play NFL ball. So, I'm excited.' 'It's all rumors, man,' Olave said. 'In the offseason, everybody's trying to have something for clicks. So, I love it here. I love the front office. I love my coaches. I'm excited to be here and I want to be here forever.'
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey is poised to return to his MVP-level play from two seasons ago.
San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey is poised to return to his MVP-level play from two seasons ago. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The San Francisco 49ers are desperate to return to playoff contention after falling to the bottom of the NFC West after winning the entire conference the year prior. Advertisement One major factor in that bounce back is the health of star running back Christian McCaffrey. When he is available, McCaffrey remains one of the best players in the NFL and one of the most versatile running backs in league history. Unfortunately, he has dealt with major injuries throughout his illustrious career, forcing him to play less than 10 games in half of his eight NFL seasons. Last year, he only suited up in four games for the Niners after dealing with Achilles and knee issues. This offseason, however, McCaffrey appears to be back near full health. He is putting every ounce of his energy toward performing like his 2023 self again, where he won Offensive Player of the Year with over 2,000 all-purpose yards. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had some notable remarks about McCaffrey's work ethic during this week's mandatory minicamp. Advertisement 'If I said it, I'd be making up because Christian is — I mean, he is a psycho in a good way and so like he does everything imaginable every single day,' Shanahan told reporters, via the team transcript. "Last year he couldn't because he was battling injury all last year. And this year he is healthy, so he is right back to being who he is always been and it's really fun to watch.' His San Francisco tenure is still rather young, but the 49ers offense clearly runs smoother with McCaffrey effective in the backfield. His record-breaking season directly correlated to the team's dominance on the way to a Super Bowl berth two years ago. Last year, the dependent relationship was proven again in his absence. In 2023, McCaffrey ran for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns. He added 67 catches for 564 yards and seven more scores through the air. Advertisement If he can produce anything near those totals in 2025 - and most of all, stay healthy - the 49ers will be poised for an immediate return to contention in the NFC. Related: 49ers' Brock Purdy Has Huge MVP Opportunity in 2025 Related: Niners' Blockbuster Trade Piece Named Biggest Loss This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.