The Bears have a real edge heading toward 2026, and it starts with something that can’t be measured in a box score: the connection between Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson.
Chicago’s quarterback and head coach are already on the same page after a rocky rookie year for Williams under Matt Eberflus. Johnson stepped in, steadied the operation and helped Williams deliver a breakout season that changed the conversation around the Bears heading into the next year.
That stands in sharp contrast to what’s going on in Minnesota.
The Vikings used the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on J.J. McCarthy and put him in the hands of Kevin O’Connell, a coach with a reputation for developing quarterbacks. But a recent traffic stop video involving former NFL insider Dianna Russini has added another layer to the noise around that partnership.
In bodycam footage released by The Center Square’s Adam Herbets, Russini is seen trying to talk her way out of a distracted driving ticket by pointing to her work as an NFL reporter for The Athletic. During the exchange, the officer says he’s a Vikings fan, and Russini then shows him a text thread with O’Connell. That moment has only fueled the idea that the coach’s feelings about McCarthy may not be especially strong.
Russini: “Your quarterback sucks, though.”
There’s no way to see the actual text exchange on camera, but the context points in McCarthy’s direction.
And the on-field results have done nothing to calm things down. In his first season as the Vikings starter, McCarthy went 6-4, but he completed just 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Add in ankle and hand injuries, a generational meme and a season-long firestorm, and it was a rough year by any standard.
Minnesota’s offseason moves haven’t exactly screamed confidence, either. The Vikings brought in Kyler Murray to compete with McCarthy for the starting job this season, and the early signs suggest Murray is the favorite entering training camp. SI’s Albert Breer also reported that Minnesota pursued Murray because it viewed him as a possible multi-year answer, which says plenty about how the team appears to be viewing McCarthy’s future.
Chicago, meanwhile, looks far more settled.
Williams’s first season in the new setup didn’t begin cleanly, but the relationship with Johnson has clearly clicked. Last season, Williams threw for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions for the Bears. His completion percentage dipped from 62.5 percent to 58.1 percent, but Chicago still finished 11-6, won its first division title since 2018 and captured its first playoff game since 2010.
That’s the kind of momentum the Bears want to carry into the next season, and the biggest reason for optimism is simple: Williams and Johnson look aligned. In a division where the Vikings are dealing with uncertainty at quarterback and questions about the coach-quarterback bond, Chicago’s stability gives it another clear advantage.
In Other News...
Ranking The 4 Bears Under The Most Training Camp Pressure
Training camp usually clarifies a roster, but for the Bears it is also about sorting out who can handle a bigger burden as the 2026 season comes into view. Kalif Raymond is in the mix at receiver, Grady Jarrett is trying to steady a defensive role after a rough year, Austin Booker is being counted on for a larger edge-rushing presence, and Cole Kmet is looking to hold his place at tight end with more competition arriving behind him.
The pressure is different for each of them, but the theme is the same: this coaching staff is no longer treating any of those spots as settled. Raymond has a path to snaps, Jarrett needs to look more like a reliable interior force, Booker has to show he can turn promise into production, and Kmet is entering camp with the kind of depth chart reality that can change quickly if he does not separate himself early. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Suddenly Face A Huge Grady Jarrett Question In Camp
Grady Jarrett arrived in Chicago with a track record that suggested he could still be a steady force in the middle of the defense, but his first season with the Bears did not go the way anyone around the team hoped. Injuries and uneven play kept him from matching the impact he had long built with the Falcons, leaving the Bears with a veteran whose rsum still matters but whose 2025 production fell short of the standard they expected.
Now the conversation around camp is less about where Jarrett once was and more about what he can still become for this defense. The coaching staff is set to evaluate him closely in training camp, and if he does not come out strong, his role could shrink quickly. For a player the Bears brought in to matter right away, this summer may go a long way toward determining how long his future in Chicago really lasts. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Rookie Dillon Thieneman May Be Ahead Of Schedule Already
The Bears used the No. 25 pick on Dillon Thieneman to add flexibility and depth to a defensive backfield that needed both, and early signs suggest the rookie is already pushing for a meaningful role. During mandatory minicamp, Thieneman earned first-team reps while working through Dennis Allens defense, a notable step for a player who arrived with the kind of versatility Chicago values in the secondary.
What makes this development more interesting is how quickly Thieneman seems to be absorbing everything around him. The Bears see him as a defensive back who can move around the formation, and his early placement with the starters hints at a bigger plan taking shape before training camp even opens. If he keeps trending this way, Chicago may not have to wait long to find out just how much responsibility the rookie can handle. [Read more 🡒]