The Chicago Bears needed a shake-up after another playoff-less season, and they didn’t just swap out players; they handed the keys to one of the NFL’s brightest offensive minds.
With Ben Johnson now steering the ship, wide receiver Rome Odunze offered a first-hand look at how things are already different inside Halas Hall.
Rome Odunze Details Ben Johnson’s Demanding Coaching Style With Bears
It didn’t take long for Odunze to feel the change.
“He’s been hard on us, man,” Odunze told Yahoo Sports’ Matt Harmon. “He’s been hard on us, you know, I don’t know if you heard any of the stories about him at practice, but, you know, he’s straight and detailed and I love it. You know, I think the team loves it because, you know, that’s the sort of standard and accountability that we need to go far.”
”So, you know, he’s very dialed in with his offense and he’s very, you know, detail-orientated and he’s very knowledgeable about, you know, offenses, defenses and the game of football as a whole.”
“He’s been hard on us man. He’s strict. He’s detailed. I love it.”
Rome Odunze shares his thoughts on new Bears HC Ben Johnson 👀 (via Yahoo Fantasy Forecast)@RomeOdunze | @MattHarmon_BYB pic.twitter.com/fYEpclAHdm
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) July 11, 2025
Odunze made it clear the Bears are now working under a coach with high standards and a love for detail. For a young team trying to support No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, that may be precisely what they need.
Johnson arrives in Chicago after helping the Lions build one of the league’s top offenses around Jared Goff. Now he’s charged with developing a quarterback who brings a different skill set and doing it under the spotlight of a franchise starving for success.
Rome Odunze Embraces Ben Johnson’s Tough Coaching Style in Chicago
There’s no sugarcoating it: The 6’3”, 215-pound wideout knows Johnson isn’t offering compliments just to build confidence. Instead, the focus has been on refining technique and maximizing matchups.
“I think, you know, just my, my size, I feel like he’s been, you know, harping on just, you know, being a dominant, dominant receiver when it comes to, you know, those outside routes and kind of those 50, 50 ball… he’s even providing new ways for me that I’m like, ‘Oh, okay. Yeah, I can do that,’” said Odunze.
That’s high praise from a player who racked up 1,640 receiving yards in his final college season. It also speaks to Johnson’s ability to customize his scheme around his players, a welcome shift from recent years where Chicago’s offensive identity often felt nonexistent.
The Bears will officially open training camp July 23, giving fans their first glimpse of Johnson’s offense in action. With Odunze, DJ Moore, and first-rounder Luther Burden III at wide receiver, there’s no shortage of talent.
But it’s Johnson’s presence that might be the biggest game-changer.
For a team that’s been stuck in neutral, discipline and detail may finally drive them forward. And if Odunze’s early impressions are any indication, the new standard in Chicago is already being set.