Volatile Bears mixtures include Ben Johnson with Caleb Williams

The Chicago Bears are undergoing a significant reboot under new head coach Ben Johnson, creating a volatile situation until the team settles. This process requires actual hitting, training camp conditions, and games, going beyond offseason activities to build winning team chemistry. Predicting outcomes is difficult until the team is seen executing plays fully.

A key volatile element is the defensive secondary's shift in coverage schemes. The Bears are moving towards significantly more man-to-man coverage and less zone coverage. However, the current secondary was groomed primarily for heavy zone schemes with little man experience, creating an adjustment challenge. Players like cornerback Tyrique Stevenson express liking man coverage because it makes accountability clear – if a play breaks down, the fault is immediately apparent, allowing for individual technique improvement. Coaches will also quickly see who is at fault.

Offensively, Ben Johnson's system, demonstrated in Detroit, frequently targeted the slot receiver or move tight end. The Bears face adjustments here as well. Their primary receiver, D.J. Moore, is traditionally an X-receiver, not a slot specialist like Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown. While Moore has played slot and even lined up in the backfield, the team drafted tight end Colston Loveland to potentially fill the move tight end role and signed Olamide Zaccheaus while also having Luther Burden III as potential slot receiver options.