Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has embraced the label of "No. 1 regression candidate" for his team, stating that the perceived lack of attention from rivals is a source of motivation. Johnson's remarks came in response to comments made by Jacksonville Jaguars coach Liam Coen, who highlighted the media's focus on the Bears' quarterback, Caleb Williams, over his own team.
Coen, speaking to radio station 1010XL, noted the difference in external attention his Jaguars team receives compared to the Bears. "Coaching the Jacksonville Jaguars, you don’t have to make up telling your players stuff," Coen said. He illustrated his point by showing his phone, which displayed "40 pictures of Caleb Williams" with "nothing on us." Coen described this lack of attention as "beautiful" for his team's motivational approach.
Johnson, however, reframed this narrative for the Bears. "We’re the No. 1 regression candidate, so I think we’ve got plenty of motivation ourselves," Johnson told reporters. "We’ve talked about Caleb in the past. He’s used to handling a lot of attention, so I’m not worried about that."
Last season, the Bears achieved an NFC North title and reached the playoffs. Quarterback Caleb Williams had a strong Year 2, passing for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. Despite their 11-6 record, the Bears often won games by a single possession and relied on late-game comebacks. The team defeated the Green Bay Packers in a Wild Card round game before being narrowly eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.
Johnson is entering his second season as head coach in Chicago. The Bears are scheduled to face Coen and the Jaguars in Week 13 of the upcoming season.