Ben Johnson Blames Team Captains for Costly Collapse Against Ravens.
By Jordan Michaels | Chicago Sports Tribune | October 27, 2025
CHICAGO — In a stunning postgame press conference that’s already lighting up social media, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson didn’t mince words following Sunday’s 31–17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The usually composed first-year head coach appeared visibly frustrated as he pointed fingers—not at his coordinators, not at the game plan—but at his own team captains.
> “Leadership failed us today,” Johnson said bluntly. “When things started slipping, our captains went quiet. That can’t happen in this league. Not against a team like Baltimore.”
The remarks came after the Bears squandered a 10-point halftime lead, surrendering 21 unanswered points in the second half. The offense stalled, the defense looked disorganized, and tempers flared on the sidelines. Cameras caught linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and quarterback Caleb Williams in a heated exchange during the fourth quarter—a moment that now seems to underline Johnson’s comments.
Inside sources described the locker room afterward as “icy.” Several players reportedly took issue with Johnson’s decision to publicly air grievances rather than handling them internally.
One veteran player, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “We’ve been busting our tails for him. Yeah, we blew it in the second half, but you don’t throw your leaders under the bus like that. Not after seven games.”
Johnson, however, doubled down on Monday morning during his weekly media availability.
> “I’m not calling anyone out for the sake of drama,” he said. “I’m calling for accountability. Captains are chosen because they’re supposed to steady the ship. Yesterday, when adversity hit, the ship drifted.”
Fans are divided. Some praised Johnson’s tough-love approach, saying it reflects the no-nonsense attitude Chicago football was built on. Others worry it signals cracks forming early in a locker room that’s still trying to find its identity under new leadership.
Sports radio host Danny Parkins called Johnson’s comments “a calculated risk.”
> “You can motivate through honesty or you can lose your locker room with it,” Parkins said. “This week’s response will tell us which way it goes.”
Team insiders say Johnson plans to hold a closed-door meeting with his captains—Williams, Edmunds, DJ Moore, and Jaylon Johnson—on Tuesday morning. The goal: clear the air before the Bears face a resurgent Detroit Lions squad next Sunday.
For a team that entered the season full of optimism, the loss to Baltimore may mark a turning point. Whether it becomes a rallying moment or the start of a spiral could depend on how those captains respond to the challenge their coach just threw down.
As one player put it quietly while leaving Halas Hall Monday afternoon:
“If he wants leaders, he’s about to find out who really wants that role.