This past season, only the Baltimore Ravens totaled more yards per game than the NFC North champion Lions. Led by coordinator Ben Johnson, the Detroit Lions totaled 68 offensive touchdowns, 29 via the ground and 39 through the air. Only five teams ran for more yards than Dan Campbell’s club, which boasted one of the best offensive lines in the league.
Johnson is now at the helm of the Chicago Bears, who finished dead last in the league in total yards per game. The Patriots were the lone club to total fewer yards through the air.
It all starts up front, and Bears’ general manager Ryan Poles has done his due diligence to upgrade the Bears in the trenches.
Major offensive line changes in the Windy City
First, Chicago gave a sixth-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams to acquire veteran Jonah Jackson. He was a Pro Bowler with the Lions in 2021, but was limited to only four games this past season. The somewhat-surprising move came next. The Bears snatched three-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, and four-time Super Bowl champion Joe Thuney from the Chiefs for a fourth-round pick in 2026. On Thursday, Johnson had this to say about the team’s recent additions at guard.
“We want some tough, some gritty, some dirty individuals, and we feel pretty good about the two guys we got. ‘Smart’ is a word that comes to mind, particularly with the interior players. We would love to have some versatility to our scheme, some multiplicity if you will.
“We’ve got a couple guys in the building now that we feel strongly can handle a variety of different concepts and schemes that we might want to employ each and every week. Beyond that, their play speaks for themselves in terms of what the tape says. The character, the integrity, it’s top notch…Combined with the coaches that we’ve already put together for that room, I feel really good about the style of play we’ll have this year.”
Talk about the cherry on the sundae? Poles signed versatile Drew Dalman (Falcons) to a three-year, $42 million deal this week (via Spotrac), and he figures as Johnson’s center. It may take some time for this new-look offensive line to gel. However, quarterback Caleb Williams (sacked 68 times in 2024) and running back D’Andre Swift have to be pretty happy campers these days.