If you were wondering what impact Ben Johnson would have on personnel decisions now that he is the Chicago Bears’ head coach, I think we just got our answer.
Not that it should come as a surprise to anyone, but the new Bears head coach is set to prioritize improving the offensive line upon his arrival to Chicago.
“I think offensive line is certainly an area that we need to get better play from going forward,” Johnson said on Wednesday (as transcribed by NFL Media). “Something that Ryan and I already talked about. We will develop a plan of attack for how to get that done. But I’m looking forward to getting an excellent offensive line coach into the building to help develop the young talent we already have on the roster, and we will certainly talk about acquiring talent to bolster that unit as well. I certainly was blessed the last few years with the men that I worked with, and that was something I would love to replicate here as well.”
Oh, what a wonderful bit of news. A coach who is making it a top priority to build out an offense from the trenches. This is music to my ears. And I am certain that I am not alone in feeling this way. I love that Johnson and Bears General Manager Ryan Poles have already begun discussing a plan that includes hiring a quality offensive line coach, developing talent already on the roster, and adding talent later in the offseason. I’ve been looking forward to this moment for so long that I can hardly contain myself.
When the Bears hired Matt Eberflus, Ryan Poles attempted to build out his new coach’s ideal defense by targeting interior defensive linemen (remember the Larry Ogunjobi thing?) and defensive backs. And while Poles has built a solid defense in his three years as general manager, the investments on the offensive side of the ball have been lacking. Plus, the additions to the trenches on the offensive side have been lackluster at best. Ideally, the new brain trust at Halas Hall will guide this thing in a new direction with an emphasis on getting it right (1) on the offense and (2) in the trenches.

Who is on the Bears’ radar?
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler rounds up a group of anonymous NFL executives, scouts, and personnel types to dish on what they envision will go down this offseason. As Fowler notes, prediction success rates vary. However, there have been some notable bullseyes hit, meaning we should be aware of what league insiders are saying. With that serving as a table-setter, I thought it was notable what Fowler shared about the Bears (bold emphasis mine):
Chicago is all-in on improving its offense with the hiring of Ben Johnson as head coach. High on general manager Ryan Poles’ list of improvements will be an underachieving offensive line. Chiefs free agent guard Trey Smith could be an immediate fit.
“They need help there at guard after the Nate Davis fiasco, and Trey is far and away the best option,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “And they probably need more than him.”
Johnson’s offense is well assembled at the skill positions with tight end Cole Kmet, running back D’Andre Swift and wide receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. But the offensive line was a major problem and will be addressed. Free agent guard Kevin Zeitler, a familiar face to Johnson in Detroit, is another option that makes sense.
That sound you heard was a collective shout from Bears fans who have been craving changes along the offensive line. And with Ben Johnson in tow, it sounds like making fixes in the trenches is the top priority for Chicago’s football team this offseason. Frankly, it’s about damn time.
How can the Chicago Bears fix their offensive line?
It sounds like the Chicago Bears could target two familiar faces for their offseason overhaul of the offensive line. Fowler’s piece mentions Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Trey Smith as a possible fit. It would make sense if Smith turns out to be a high-priority target for Chicago’s football team this offseason. The other notable name mentioned is another guard, Kevin Zeitler, who is a free agent currently with the Detroit Lions. Adding one would be nice. Snagging both would have me doing cartwheels in my mind.
Don’t get me wrong. Kevin Zeitler would be a nice addition to the offensive line. But Trey Smith would be the biggest prize among free-agent offensive linemen this offseason. However, there are questions about whether Smith will even make it to the market. During the season, we wrote about Smith as a fit but weren’t hopeful about it coming to fruition because reports were hinting at the Chiefs running it back with one of their top linemen. But it sounds like there is *SOME* optimism that it could happen:
Words from ESPN NFL reporter Field Yates while on CHGO’s Bears podcast:
“Trey Smith is a true blue free agent. The reason he is going to hit the open market, absent the Franchise Tag, which I am not expecting. It’s not because the Chiefs don’t like him, it’s because they’ve got a lot of guys. They’ve got the most expensive quarterback in terms of cash value over the next four years. And they’ve got players getting top of the market money at their respective positions.
The Chiefs have an embarrassment of riches of talent. So guys like Trey Smith don’t come around very often, but I would equate him to what we saw last year with Xavier McKinney for the Green Bay Packers. The reason why he left the Giants was not because the GIants didn’t want him. The guy is a stud. He ended up being a first-team All-Pro. So Trey Smith could be a name that comes to mind for Chicago.”
I’m not sure quite what to make of the difference of opinions between Biggs and Yates. But it definitely will have me on high alert for when Franchise Tag decisions come in March. The Bears might not have someone worth tagging, but that just means we have more time to keep up with who is (or isn’t) getting tagged around the league.
I’VE ALREADY GOT MY EYES ON A 2025 FREE AGENT OFFENSIVE LINEMAN FOR THE BEARS
In the end, I love that while most Bears fans are still basking in the glow that comes with the team’s recent hire of new head coach Ben Johnson, there is a vocal part of the fanbase that is ready to move on to addressing the next most significant item on the franchise’s to-do list — which is to fix a broken offensive line. Considering that so much of what Johnson’s offense does well needs competent blockers in the trenches to make the thing go, there is an expectation that filling offensive line needs will be a top priority.
And for what it’s worth, some possible targets are already popping up as options to keep an eye on when free agency rolls around in March.
