Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson responded on Friday to remarks made by Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, who recently directed a subtle jab at Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. Coen’s comments, made on Thursday, centered on the discrepancy in media coverage between his team and the Chicago star. Despite the Jaguars securing 13 wins in 2025, Coen expressed frustration over a lack of media attention, noting that he could scroll through the NFL Network website and find 40 photos of Williams without seeing a single image of his own players.
Coen suggested that this perceived imbalance acts as a motivational tool for his roster. Addressing the situation during a press conference, Johnson remained unfazed by the criticism aimed at his signal-caller. He emphasized that Williams is accustomed to high levels of scrutiny and public focus, stating, "He’s used to handling a lot of attention, so I’m not worried about that." Johnson also noted that the Bears are dealing with their own pressures, identifying his team as the 1 regression candidate, so I think we’ve got plenty of motivation ourselves," Johnson said.
Caleb Williams enjoyed a productive 2025 season, throwing for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He guided the Bears to the playoffs and led a remarkable comeback against the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round. As Johnson looks toward 2026, he faces the challenge of replicating that success. The Bears will have a tough time matching last season's 11 wins as their opponents have the highest combined 2025 winning percentage (.550) of any NFL team, facing a gauntlet of 10-15 difficult matchups throughout the year.
He said it helps motivate his players."You don't have to make up the fire, you don't have to make it up," Coen said.
