Ben Johnson is setting a high bar this season for the Chicago Bears -- even higher than winning the Super Bowl.
Johnson outlined his goals for the 2026 season, his second as the Bears' head coach, as part of a wide-ranging profile published Wednesday by The Athletic.
"You've got 31 other teams coming to training camp saying, 'Our goal is to win the Super Bowl.' I want more than that," Johnson told The Athletic.
"I want to have the highest-scoring offense ever, which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos. I know how many points per game they scored [37.9], and I want to surpass them. I want shutouts. I want blowouts."
The Bears went 11-6 and won the NFC North title in their first season under the offensive-minded Johnson, who rose to prominence thanks to his success as the offensive coordinator and playcaller of the Detroit Lions from 2022 to 2024.
Chicago finished sixth in the NFL last season in total offense (369.2 yards per game) and ninth in scoring offense (25.9 points per game) behind quarterback Caleb Williams and a group of talented playmakers.
Johnson praised Williams during his interview with The Athletic, saying "it's just a matter of time" for the third-year star to unlock his full potential.
As for the broader team, Johnson cited the Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots teams from 2003 and 2004, who at one point won 21 consecutive games between the regular season and postseason.
"Why can't we do that?" Johnson said. "There has never been an undefeated season (since the NFL expanded its schedule to more than 14 regular-season games).
"The moon is the Super Bowl, but we're shooting beyond that -- for the stars. And I want these players to feel that each and every single day they come in."
