The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the start of their offseason program next week, where new head coach Ben Johnson will meet with his team for the first time.
Johnson was hired as the Bears' 18th head coach in franchise history in January, and he's been busy assembling his coaching staff and building his offense around quarterback Caleb Williams. With the offseason program on deck, the work will finally begin.
Johnson told reporters at the NFL Owners Meetings on Tuesday that he'll spend this weekend crafting the speech he'll give to the team next week, and his message is about change and moving forward.
"It’s a different regime," Johnson said. "What happened last year was last year. We’re moving on. We’re moving past that."
The Bears are coming off a tumultuous 5-12 season, which included a 10-game losing streak, in-season head coach firing and multiple heartbreaking losses. But Johnson is looking to establish a winning culture that this team has been lacking, and the foundation starts in that first meeting.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears coach Ben Johnson shares message for his team