Ben Johnson gives Week 1 injury updates | Press Conference

Ben Johnson gives Week 1 injury updates | Press Conference

All right. Uh, morning. Um, really good week of practice here. Just first first week of doing show team look team like we had and uh thought our guys really handled it well. Was is one of the best I’ve been around for for this early in the season. Guys are they’re locked in. They’re preparing hard and and uh trying to soak in all the details. So um good two days and then we’ll have another good one here today and we’ll we’ll be ready for game time. I know our guys are really excited about what’s to come. Soldier Field game one. Um, I think it’s going to be an electric atmosphere. So, we’re going to need that fan support every every step of the way. With that, I’ll go ahead and open it up. The risk of a broad question. What do you want to see Caleb do Monday night? Win the football game in terms of his own performance is does it matter how all that matters is us winning the game. So, that’s that’s all we need to see from from our quarterback, from our offense, from our defense, from our special teams. We’re just all we’re focused on is what do we need to do to win the game. Do you expect TJ Edwards to be available or does it look like he’s likely out? He he will be doubtful. What about Jaylen? What what type of designation will you give Jaylen Johnson? We will see on that one. What has he been able to do the last couple days in or in yesterday in practice in Jaylen? Yeah. The the number of reps are increasing every single day for him. And as you’ve established your working relationship with Caleb, how do you ensure that his commitment level both here and away from here meets your expectation? I think it uh you know, we like to single out the quarterback. It’s it’s everybody in this building. We we’re professionals and this isn’t uh you know, everyone likes to think professional football. It’s still a game. It’s still a kids game. It is, but this is also how we feed our families and we’re dependent on each other to get that job done. And so, um, I I’m grateful for the guys in the locker room, they they all embrace that mindset. Everybody in this building, certainly when I see them, they they’re dialed in. They’re locked in. Um, I can’t say enough good things about our whole roster from top to bottom. I’m I’ve been thoroughly impressed from the springtime through training camp here into week one, how locked in they are. So, um, yeah, that that’s the expectation is is we’re all in this thing for each other. We don’t want to let our buddies down. And and, uh, that’s the thought. with with Kaylor specifically, how did you get that message across from, you know, I guess January till now just to make sure that he understands everything that you mean there for for all young players in this league, you tried to um show the runway of what a professional looks like and you detail this is what we need, this is where we stay in. Um, you know, early this week I I kind of highlighted on a normal game week, you know, day after the game, this is what we should be looking at. um going into a Wednesday, this is what the cutups we should be looking at a Thursday, Friday, blah blah blah blah blah, you know, and so uh it’s helpful for young players, I think, to see what that looks like. And and more than anything, when you have a a group of veterans like we do, they show us the way. And more so than the coaches having to lead, the the players, the teammates, um if they can show us the right way, the better off we’ll be in a in a hurry. And earlier this week you said that how Caleb approaches practice was going to help you determine how you’re going to call the game. Where does that stand today? He’s had two good days of practice and and we have another practice today. When you talk about the leaders players showing the way, but what in what ways have you specifically seen that already? Well, we certainly I think uh the guys at our locker room voted as captains that certainly sent a message at least to me who who they are looking at the most, you know, and so uh guys like Tuni and and Grady and Bard. I mean I like Caleb’s along there, Cairo, all all five of those guys, they’re great examples of of guys that are doing the right thing, not just uh since we started the season, but throughout the off seasonason the whole time. and to have that respect of your peers is is a huge deal. So, I I think we have a number of guys that are are committed to doing it the right way. I think that was the vision of bringing in some of the the veteran leadership that we did that that we acquired whether through free agency or trades. Um I mean, I could go down the road, but you know, guys like Jonah Jackson, Drew Dolman on offense. Um I I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the guys that have been here like Cole KT and DJ Moore. Um, on the defensive side of the ball, I think Montes Sweat is is been absolutely crushing it from from the time I stepped in the building until now. Dio is a is a true pro. I mean, it’s on and on and I could I could list the entire locker room almost because it’s just been really impressive how these guys go about their business. I know you said that you don’t know what this offense is going to look like until you get a few weeks into the season. Yeah, I say that. I I do know what it’s going to look like, but I I know it of course, right? But what it’s what the final product will be. But what do you feel like going into this game is the strength of the offense right now? Yeah, you’re trying to give give away trade secrets here. Um, listen, we we we feel really good about this game plan and uh we’re going to we’re going to do whatever it takes, whatever the situation is to to find a way to come out on top around being with Dan Camp for a few years, watching how he whatever his um mode was preparing for a game and on game day. Are there things that that you admire that he did that like you maybe shape your perspective as you approached your first game? I’ve learned from everybody that I’ve been around and uh you know the good and the bad and everything in between. So, um, certainly learned a lot of lessons there. And what what caused you guys to, uh, just stick with the running backs you have and not not add anybody this week with some of the injury situations? Yeah, I I think, uh, I I’ve been, I think, pretty open since I got here about Swifty and and how highly I think of him. Um, Manungai has has really hit his stride there, you know, over the course of the spring and and camp. Um, so I feel really I I trust that guy at this point, you know, which is that’s that’s a big thing to say for a young player like that. He just he tends to do everything right. Um, I’m I’m hopeful Roshan will come back here soon. You know, we have Britain Brown who who came on late in training camp, but we were really impressed with what he did in practice and what he put on tape. Um, and so we we’d have no problem giving him the ball in games also. So we feel like we we have a pretty good core of guys there. And then uh because we’re we’re uniquely set up to have so much perimeter skill that maybe the ball doesn’t go to that one room as much. And that’s the competition we have each and every week is where is the ball going to go. I’ve already told you that uh you know that’s that’s the struggle we have as a staff making sure that we we get the ball distributed to the right guys here and and give them all a chance to showcase what they can do. So um we have no shortage of playmakers. That’s that’s really in short why we feel really good about not just the running back room but our entire stable on offense. What kind of opportunities is this for Hippolite without TJ potentially going on Monday for Yeah. No, he’s uh he’s really come into his own. Uh I think he’s a guy that he’s really smart. He he takes it seriously. Really athletic. um DA that side of the ball, they’ve they’ve really grown to to think that he’s someone that we can depend on even though we’re going to have the bright lights of Monday Night Football on us. And so, um yeah, I I anticipate him on the field there on defense. He’s got to be a playmaker for us on special teams. And I think we’re going to continue to see that player ascend. It’s your first time as a head coach. Obviously, you’re crossing into the regular season phase for the first time. What type of advice did you solicit and or gain from the time you took the job to help you handle the regular season portion as a head coach for the first time? You’re asking these deep questions now. Um, Saturday, you know. Yeah. No. Uh, you know, it’s it’s to me this is uh this is why the preseason’s been such a good dry run for us. We’ve had three games to really get the communication aspect down. What it’s going to look like pregame, halftime, postgame. uh not only for us but for the players. And uh listen, I I feel comfortable going into this thing. I’m surrounded by a lot of really good people. I can’t stress that enough. I really can’t. I The coaching staff is top-notch. Um you know, it’s it’s just the next step. And you know, we always everyone’s got a first time for everything. So, this should just be the first time I’m a I’m a head coach in a regular season. Thank you.

Head coach Ben Johnson meets with the media Saturday at Halas Hall as the Bears prepare to host the Vikings on Monday night at Soldier Field.

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