Ben Johnson says Bears are not a rebuilding team: The mission is to win and win now

When Ben Johnson became the Bears' head coach at the start of this year, he was inheriting a young quarterback and a team that was coming off three straight last-place finishes and hadn't won a playoff game since 2010. But don't tell Johnson that makes the Bears a rebuilding team.

Johnson said today that he has never viewed the mission as anything other than to win, starting this season.

"The mission has always been to win and to win now," Johnson said. "I said that in my opening press conference and I've been consistent with that with the team. That's the end-all be-all, that's what we're going out there to do. I don't see this as a team in transition. This is the 2025 Chicago Bears and we have a chance to put a stamp on what this chapter of Chicago Bears history is going to look like."

The Bears are 4-2 and head to Baltimore on a four-game winning streak. If they can win on Sunday to make it 5-2, they'll start to be looked at as realistic playoff contenders. Something Johnson thinks they should be, right now.