G.O. Bears: The 2025 Season is almost upon us

Note: The punctuation marks in the above title are not a grammatical error. In fact, it is completely intended, but you'll have to read on to see why.

As our beloved Chicago Bears get ready to embark on yet another football season, we have created a new motto for this year’s team, a creation, it should be noted, solely adopted and solely contemplated by exactly a party of one—that being this particular columnist. 

Journalism is a lonely business. What can I say… but I digress.

So, the new motto for this season is: G.O. Bears, with The G and the O standing for “Guarded Optimism.”

The temptation, of course, is to throw that “G” right out the window. No need for that “Guarded” stuff, one might say, and in defense of that argument, there is no doubt the 2025 version of The Monsters of the Midway appears to be locked and loaded for a big breakout season.

All the key ingredients are there. Top line quarterback? Check (we hope). Skill position players? Oh yeah, in abundance here, including two quality pass-catching tight ends. Offensive line? Completely revamped, combining some quality high-paid veterans with some good young big guys.

Defense? Should be solid at the very least. Some increased heft in the middle (a problem last year), a new edge rusher, returning linebackers, and quality and quantity in abundance in the defensive backfield.

Special teams? All set with two of the best in the business in kicker Carlos Santos and punter Tory Taylor.

Ok, so why the G.O.? Why the guarded optimism instead of outright excitement?

If you’re a longtime Bear fan, you will surely know. We have had many seasons that looked, on potential, to be great ones–that way too often fizzled out.  

So this year, we have a new coach: the hottest young coach in the NFL, in 39-year-old Ben Johnson. Johnson worked wonders with the Detroit Lions' offense the past few seasons, and now he plans to do the same with our beloved Bears.

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All the experts, all the pundits, are telling us he is the next “can’t-miss” great coach and will turn our Bears into big-time contenders. But… the G.O. will apply here.  Hope the experts are right, but forgive us for the Guarded Optimism.

How many times in the past have we heard that “The Bears finally have the right coach,” only to find the entire operation sinking faster than a weight rack on a pool floatie?

I won’t painfully recap all the Bears’ coaches that have been there, done that, and didn’t quite succeed, but most recently, it was Matt Nagy who was the hot, new, young, brilliant coach. Putting it as gently as we possibly can, that did not work out quite so well.

Repeat all of the above with the quarterback position. Again, I would not dare drag the nice Chicago Bear fan into complete football misery by listing all the failed quarterbacks of years gone by, but let’s just say it has been a long lineage of near, if not complete, frustration.

So, now, we have Caleb Williams, the number one pick in the entire NFL draft!  An absolute can’t-miss superstar at the quarterback position. But last year, he did miss—early and often, actually.  But not to worry, Bears fans were told.  Bad coaching and a leaky offensive line were the main causes of Williams’ failures last year.

It all leads to G.O., folks. Our motto for the upcoming season: Guarded Optimism.

No question, the talent and coaching seems to be in place for a great season.   Excitement and optimism are near sky high as the Bears have looked dominant in the pre-season—but forgive us long-suffering fans if we sprinkle on top of all that hype just a little bit of that old G.O. (Guarded Optimism) dust.

We shall soon find out. The season opener is Sept. 8, a Monday Night Football national telecast against the Minnesota Vikings.

All we can say is… G.O. Bears!