It was a cold day four years ago next month, and newly hired GM Ryan Poles stood before the assembled media and Chicago Bears family at the Halas Hall auditorium after his hiring.

“What am I about and what’s my philosophy?” Poles said. “We’re gonna build  through the draft. We’re gonna acquire young, fast and physical football players. We’re gonna be selective through free agency. And we’re gonna connect evaluation with valuation. We’re gonna have a relentless approach to fix our weaknesses. We’re gonna make … great self-awareness of who we are. We’re gonna solve problems with open communication and candor. And we’re gonna consistently put players in positions to succeed.

“And the last thing, the most important piece, is we’re gonna take the North and never give it back.”

The words have echoed every year the season ended and the Bears were not in  the playoffs or in first place.

Ryan Poles: “We’re going to take the North and never give it back.” pic.twitter.com/lS6iZK9vk9

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) January 31, 2022

At last, Saturday night they took the North. When they give it back is left to  the future.

The Bears are the NFC North champions for the first time since 2018 after the Packers lost Saturday 41-24 at Lambeau Field to Baltimore.

It’s goal No. 2 in those Ben Johnson set down for them. The third goal was 11 wins.

“The whole reason why that was the No. 3, there’s really only been one 10-win team not to make it, that was last year with Seattle,” Johnson said. “There’s never been an 11-win team to not make it. We felt pretty good about that being the number going into the season. That was Step 1.  

“Step 2 is we want to win this division; we want to have a at least one home playoff game. And then Step 3 would be the No. 1 seed. There’s a lot of things still out there to play for. Our guys know that.”

Jonah Jackson is back to his 2021/2022 levels of play and it has been a treat to watch this year. Not many guards are as explosive and nimble as he is. Him + Wright have been awesome in the run game this year. pic.twitter.com/MmaQrkHO16

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) November 10, 2025

They need to win Sunday night to have a chance at No. 1 seed, but Saturday they locked up the division.

Here’s the seven key reasons how four years and a coaching staff later, the Bears took the North.

Kings of the North 👑 pic.twitter.com/nzmCaZH69M

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) December 28, 20251. Interior line transformation

The trades made to acquire guard Jonah Jackson for a sixth-round pick, four-time Pro Bowl guard Joe Thuney for a fourth-round pick and the signing of center Drew Dalman transformed their offensive line and made the league’s second-ranked running attack possible. They also let the Bears allow only 23 sacks a year after they gave up a franchise record of 68. The last time they gave up less than 50 was in 2020 when they last made the playoffs, so this was a dramatic transformation, and it only got better when first Theo Benedet and then Ozzy Trapilo took over at left tackle. They’ve had relative stability on the line for 15 games after three years when they changed starting offensive lines 30 times due to injuries, illness and incompetence. They let running back D’Andre Swift average 3.0 yards before contact en route to a carry or two from a 1,000-yard season and Kyle Monangai 2.8 yards before contact, both in the top 13 in the NFL.

Friendly reminder that Joe Thuney’s extension with the #Bears makes him the 19th highest paid OG in the NFL via Spotrac.

His stats in ’25:

-Pro Bowler
-0 sacks
-1 QBH
-2 Penalties
-11 hurries

Also, got him for a 4th rounder.

Top-10 trade in Chicago sports history IMO. pic.twitter.com/IwON1U2Wh1

— Just Another Year Chicago: Bears (@JAYChi_Bears) December 23, 20252. Takeaway differential

If you’re going to play with a quarterback completing only 57.8% of his passes, one who has had to go through a second offense and a third play caller in just two seasons, you’re going to need the ball back a lot.

They’ve had it because Nahshon Wright supplied eight takeaways, Kevin Byard six interceptions and Tremaine Edmunds four interceptions to offset defensive injuries and a mediocre first season under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen at stopping the run.

Their 21 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries for a league-high total of 31 takeaways has resulted in a league-high +21 turnover differential because Williams threw only six interceptions and they have lost only four fumbles for a league-best 10 giveaways. The four lost fumbles is the fourth-lowest total in the NFL. Only the Rams have thrown less than their six interceptions.

Nahshon Wright has has more takeaways than the ENTIRE DEFENSES of the Giants, Commanders, and Jets.

What an elite season for #26. pic.twitter.com/4SwErDDNOM

— Ficky (@itsfickybaby) November 29, 20253. Clutch Caleb

The overall numbers are nothing much to get excited about, with a passer rating of 89.5, only 1.7 above is rookie year, and with a mediocre 6.9 yards per attempt. The completion percentage, as mentioned, is nothing to be proud of as he has the worst one for a starter who led a team into the playoffs since Andrew Luck did it with the Colts in 2012 at 54.1%. But come the fourth quarter Williams has developed into a tenacious competitor with a league-best six fourth-quarter comeback and six game-winning drives. With the Bears within seven in fourth quarters this year, he has a 103.8 passer rating and in last week’s overtime had a 135.4 rating.

Caleb hands in his pockets while the pass is still in the air is the QB equivalent of a Steph Curry turn-around 3. pic.twitter.com/kmvGZ7gtwH

— m (@downbadbears) December 21, 20254. Something magical

The way they’ve won seven times in nine one-score games has required serendipity. A Josh Blackwell walk-off blocked field goal, a Blackwell recovered onside kick to set up the tying TD against the Packers, a 48-yard field goal in wind and wet conditions by their backup kicker against Washington, a 56-yard Devin Duvernay kick return after they’d blown a lead for the second time against Minnesota and then the winning 48-yard Cairo Santos field goal. Of course, there was the miracle in Cincinnati with Colston Loveland taking it 56 yards to the house after a catch with 17 seconds remaining.  The best escape act of all came against the Packers, most appropriately, ending with DJ Moore’s 46-yard TD catch with Keisean Nixon draped on his back. All of it had Moore suggesting the late Virginia McCaskey was looking out for them somewhere out in the heavens.

I’d like to take this time to formally apologize to Cairo Santos.

Even if he doesn’t have the most range in the NFL, he has the accuracy and consistent touch to kick well in Soldier Field. Those conditions are no joke.

He was one of the MVPs in the #Bears’ win over the Packers. pic.twitter.com/RmL6xvM64K

— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) December 23, 20255. The schedule

No doubt they had an ideal schedule for a young team transitioning from a failed coaching staff, with easier games early and the tougher ones later after the team jelled. Then there were the breaks like Noah Parsons’ season-ending injury just before the second Green Bay game, Jordan Love getting knocked out of the second Packers game, Aaron Rodgers suffering a broken bone in his wrist and missing that game. 

Remember the people that downplayed the Packers adding Micah Parsons

-8 tackles
-2.5 sacks
-3 TFL
-4 QB hits

He swung this division pic.twitter.com/HRumkhtyRz

— Jim Costa (@JimCosta_) November 27, 20256. The coaching staff

Ben Johnson chose a bunch of assistants with coaches who can teach but have a wealth of experience in the league, like Eric Bieniemy, Al Harris, Antwaan Randle El, Richard Smith and others.

“The first thing we’re looking for with coaches was high-integrity, high- character people,” Johnson said “That’s always a good starting point. You’re also looking for quality teachers as well, and I think our guys do it as well as anybody as I’ve been around as far as teaching the game and staying on these guys.

It may have taken a little longer than we hoped after his introductory press conference but credit to Ryan Poles and company. He built a hell of a team and Ben Johnson is the best. NFC North Champs.

— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) December 28, 2025

“We’re very demanding as a coaching staff, in all three phases, and that’s each position group as well, and the guys really adhere to that type of coaching. I think you can go around the entire staff, coordinators, position coaches, I think we’ve got some really bright, young coaches that are going to ascend in this league as well. It’s a really well-rounded staff as a whole.”

The defensive coaches, in particular, had a huge impact on backups. They developed younger players so when a group of Bears on defense turned up injured, they had suitable replacements .

According to @jjones9 NFL teams are looking at Chicago Bears assistants, and Chicago is “braced for a potential raiding” of Ben Johnson’s staff. Names mentioned are Declan Doyle, Eric Biemiemy, J.T. Barrett, and Al Harris. #DaBears

— Ben Devine (@Chicago_NFL) December 27, 20257. Ben Johnson

Johnson knew how to former a partnership with a quarterback who everyone said didn’t want to be in Chicago. He knew how to handle a team as a head coach when many thought he could only call plays for an offense.

“I always go back to what Mike Sherman used to tell me about being the coordinator, being the head coach back when I was in Miami with him,” Johnson said. “He said you just have to be consistent at all times. It’s so easy to ride the wave in this league of the wins and the losses, the ups and downs, and yet the head coach needs to just be as steady eddie as he can possibly be. That’s what I try to do. That’s what the best ones I’ve been around do—they’re the ultimate pendulum. When things get a little bit too high, you make sure to keep everybody grounded. And when things are a little bit low, you make sure to raise up the sea level a little bit. I do my best to emulate that.”

It wasn’t just that, but also Johnson’s decision-making, his play-calling and the way he handled the team, as well. George McCaskey paid a lot of money for Johnson. He got his money’s worth.

Ben Johnson has won the NFC North three years in a row.

Thank God he’s on our side now. pic.twitter.com/9YYgF4yO29

— Barstool Chicago (@barstoolchicago) December 28, 2025Austin Booker fined by NFL for packers game hit but he’s not alone Bears own momentum even if Ben Johnson sees it a different wayChicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers: Who wins and why for Week 17Measuring the value of top seed with the Bears in hot pursuit

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