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The Chicago Bears are in a state of transition with new head coach Ben Johnson trying to change the fortunes of a franchise that has consistently come up short of expectations for much of the last 20 years.
Johnson, who came to Chicago from his post as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, inspired hope among fans that he would be able to orchestrate a turnaround for the Bears, and so far, it seems like that might happen.
The first-time head coach has been labeled demanding during the early stages of Bears training camp, and wide receiver D.J. Moore affirmed that conclusion.
“Uncomfortable has been the main thing,” Moore told Bleacher Report's Mike Golic Jr. of how he's felt so far under Johnson's tenure. “Just them trying to change the culture around here, and they done did it fast, and you can tell how we practice and go about our business.”
DJ Moore thinks Ben Johnson has already started to change the culture in Chicago only a week into camp pic.twitter.com/9vsrEhiXhv
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) July 29, 2025
Moore explained how things have changed, including the expectations in practice.
“The intensity,” Moore said as a specific change. “If you mess up, you getting out of there. You get one chance. If you a double offender, then you ain't gonna be in on that play for the rest of camp, it feel like.”
Players have been thrown out of the huddle, forced to watch from the sideline and publicly chewed out by Johnson and his coaching staff, including second-round draft pick and Moore's fellow wide receiver, Luther Burden III, who reportedly lined up incorrectly before Johnson laid into him.
“I actually didn't see it because I was coming back or getting talked to. I did hear him yelling at somebody, and I ain't know it was Luther.
“But any advice [to him] is that you just got stay in your playbook and know the exact details because if the playbook say plus-two from the hash and you line up minus-one from the hash, you wrong and you have to get out and people [will have to] give you a second chance. You'll rehuddle it, go back out there. If you do it again, line up in the same way, you definitely coming out.”
Johnson is the fourth Bears head coach in the last decade, excluding last year's interim coach, Thomas Brown. Those previous three head coaches — John Fox, Matt Nagy, and Matt Eberflus — went a combined 62-97, made two playoff appearances, and won zero postseason games. Chicago's most recent playoff win was in January 2011 under Lovie Smith.
