Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears about to take fans on a fun ride

I was writing some articles after the 53-man roster was announced and discussing how I have several concerns about the Chicago Bears defense, mostly the defensive line.

A handful of fans on social media and in the comments section decided to voice their opinions that I am too negative. And truth be told, I probably am. Being a Bears fan with this much failure over the last 35 years will do that to a person.

But I am excited about the future here with Ben Johnson, and certainly excited about the future of Caleb Williams .

But my negativity doesn't reflect them or the offense in any way. My negativity is about trying to win a Super Bowl and the moves the Bears made (or mostly did not make) that make me think that goal is still out of reach in 2026. That's what frustrates me.

But with the dawn of a new season upon us, let's not focus on the negatives; I'm sure I will have plenty of columns that voice my frustrations at one point or another. But let's focus on the positives about where this team is, and where it's going.

Because if we are being honest, this should be the most excited you have been for a team entering a season since September of 1986.

That's right. This is the most exciting start to a season since 1986. This is better than 2019. This is better than 2007. In both 2007 and 2019, the Bears were coming off great seasons, but there were quarterback problems.

Even when you look at the coaches. Matt Nagy did fairly well here. Obviously, Lovie Smith did very well here. But with either of those two coaches, were you ever 100% certain the Bears had an elite coach? A good coach? I'm sure many did, but did you ever think either of those coaches was one of the top three in the league?

This is a totally different world. The Bears have, at minimum, a top-10 coach in the league; many experts would already put Ben Johnson in the top 5. And guess what? He's pretty new at this, and he's only getting better.

I've been on the Caleb Williams bandwagon since the beginning (the beginning being the horrible start to the 2023 season). Perhaps it's my jaded views of Chicago Bears quarterbacks, but I had him approaching the top 10 QBs in the league after last season, but when you look around the league, he's almost at a consensus of already being in the top 10.

How far can Caleb Williams fly this year? If everything goes the way Ben Johnson sees it, Williams is going to be in the top 5. He's going to be in the same breath as Mahomes , Allen, Jackson, Stafford , and Burrow. He's going to start becoming a regular conversation as part of the MVP race every season.

Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams have changed the entire dynamic of the Chicago Bears franchise, and it's incredibly awesome that we've arrived.

Because of those two, the Chicago Bears will always have a place at the table. How many teams do you consider to have a top-10 QB and a top-10 coach in the NFL? Let's take a look.

Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are one. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson have new coaches. Joe Burrow has Zac Taylor, and Taylor is not at that level. Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay are two. I think you need to put Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh there. That's three. You can't put Schottenheimer there with Dak Prescott . You could make the argument that Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel are both there. That's four. And then there's Caleb and Ben. That's five.

What does that group of 5 have in common? Harbaugh and Herbert have been to the playoffs both years together. Maye and Vrabel made it in their only year; same with Caleb and Ben. McVay and Stafford have made it 4 of 5 years, and the one year they missed, Stafford missed 8 games.

Mahomes and Reid made it 7 consecutive years and won three of five Super Bowl appearances.

What am I trying to say? When you have a great coach and a great QB, you make the playoffs almost every year.

That's what the Chicago Bears are entering.

Now, the roster may still need some TLC to get it to a point where it's truly contending for a Super Bowl, but the Chicago Bears are entering a time where they should be a perennial playoff team every year.

The Chicago Bears finally have a place at the table.

Not only will the Bears be competing for playoff spots every year, but they are going to have the most explosive offense any living fan has ever seen. This offense is only getting better. Luther Burden and Colston Loveland are about to become elite weapons. Rome Odunze and D'Andre Swift have established themselves. Ben Johnson won't let the offensive line be bad. Ever.

This offense is going to be elite every year with the coach and QB combo.

It's going to be like something we've never experienced.

NFL experts are going to do film studies on this offense. Ben Johnson's coaching tree will become a thing like Sean McVay's has.

Nine times in Bears history has a QB thrown for over 3,000 yards and 20 TDs. Caleb Williams owns two of those in two seasons. He's going to rewrite the Chicago Bears passing records.

Ben Johnson is going to rewrite the Chicago Bears' records for offense. Heck, Ben Johnson may become one of the top 10 most winning coaches in the history of the franchise THIS season.

It's a golden time to be a Chicago Bears fan. We are entering an era that we've never experienced. This is going to be new to all of us. But it's going to be really f'ing fun.

So buckle up, Bears fans. The Chicago Bears are no longer an NFL doormat. They are going to consistently be one of the better teams in the league.

This is what Bears fans have wanted since Mike Ditka was carried off the field at the Louisiana Superdome, and it's hard to imagine that the dream has become a reality.

Enjoy it. Not just last season. Not just this season. But every season. Enjoy it. Enjoy all of it. Embrace the greatness we are about to witness year in and year out.

The Chicago Bears have arrived. Bears fans are excited. TV Networks are excited. Roger Goodell is excited.

As Jerry Seinfeld once said, "That's a shame."

Embrace it all. I have. What a time to be alive.