Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has built quite the early reputation around NFL social media circles, with many claiming that he doesn’t smile and is always serious.
Johnson, who is entering his first year in the NFL as a head coach after spending the last three seasons as an offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions, isn’t as hard and rugged as he may appear on television.
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In an interview with Kay Adams of the “Up & Adams Show,” Bears wide receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze were asked about Johnson’s body language during the team’s 38-0 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 of the preseason. Cameras would continuously capture Johnson looking unhappy during the blowout victory, but two of his top playmakers believe they know how to get him to smile.
“Being on all of the details and when the whole play goes right, he’ll smile, ” Moore said. “Other than that, I don’t think he smiles.”
Odunze had his doubts about whether that would even be enough.
“I don’t even know if that’ll do it,” he said. “You’ve got to crack a joke or something, and it’s got to be a good joke. He’s got a great sense of humor. But he’s always on the details, so he’s not smiling until he’s outside of football.”
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Johnson’s no-nonsense coaching style could very well be exactly what the Bears needed after a 2024 season filled with failure, coaching malpractice, and embarrassing football. If Johnson is not cracking any smiles, but the team is winning games, there will be plenty of reason to smile moving forward, but the job must get done first and foremost.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: What would it take to make Bears HC Ben Johnson crack a smile?