Bears safety Kevin Byard makes bold statement about Ben Johnson

The Chicago Bears are buying what Ben Johnson is selling.

Veteran safety Kevin Byard met with reporters after practice on Thursday and sang the praises of his new head coach, saying that he and the rest of his teammates want to bring Johnson’s vision of a dynasty to reality.

“Ben Johnson wants to build a dynasty,” Byard said. “We want to be that dynasty. We want to be the guys that get that thing started. Myself, we want to be the guys that build the foundation for Ben and continue to go as long as we possibly can. That’s the goal. But we got a long way to go to accomplish that.”

Byard joined the Bears as a free agent in 2024 and was one of the more reliable defenders on the team. He started all 17 games for Chicago and finished with a career-high 130 tackles.

“The Gen-Z effect is felt in the locker room,” ESPN’s Courtney Cronin shared on X. “When I asked Kevin Byard about whether Ben Johnson is as intense in the meeting room as he is in on the field, Byard described Johnson’s demeanor through the eyes of his young teammates. ‘The young guys call it ‘aura’.”

That’s the exact kind of update Chicago Bears fans should hope for. The players are feeding off of Johnson’s energy, and when that begins to happen, good things follow.

There’s no doubt a new sherrif is inside Halas Hall, and as long as Ben Johnson’s program produces wins early in the season, this version of the Chicago Bears will be a rare winner.