The hype around Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson might just be real.

He has led the game to a 9-3 start in his first season. Just for reference, this team went 5-12 and fired its head coach the year before.

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Now, the Bears are in the midst of the NFC playoff race and currently hold the No. 1 seed. After a 31-28 Los Angeles Rams’ loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, the Bears moved into the top spot in the conference.

His start is among the best in franchise history through his first 12 games in charge, landing him on a list with the likes of George Halas and Paddy Driscoll. Halas had a 10-1-1 start in 1920, while Driscoll went 9-2-1 in their first 12 games.

Halas was a head coach before the Super Bowl was introduced to professional football in 1967, but he won six NFL Championships. Halas was a head coach from 1920-1955 before Driscoll replaced him.

It’s very early in Johnson’s career with Chicago, but he is off to a great start. I’m not going to sit here and predict that he’ll have as much success as Halas and Driscoll did, but the sky is the limit.

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The changes this franchise has undergone in year one are nothing short of amazing. He has Caleb Williams as one of the least-sacked quarterbacks in the league. The running game is in the top five in rushing yards per game.

On top of that, the Bears secured their first winning season since 2018 after beating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-15.

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense is taking the ball away more than any other team. It’s a great time to be a Bears fan.

It never gets easier in this league, as the Bears face the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, who are 8-3-1 and second in the NFC North. If Chicago wins, it would be the second win over Green Bay in 2025. The Bears have never beaten the Packers twice in the same year in franchise history.

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Chicago is on a six-game winning streak, and that will be tested at Lambeau Field. The Packers are 4-2 at home this season, and the Bears would love nothing more than to make that 4-3 this weekend. Green Bay is 3-1 against Chicago in the last four meetings.

Sunday’s game will kick off at 3:25 p.m. CT on Fox.