The NFL’s Coach of the Year Vote Was a Slap to the Bears
Coach of the Year voting results are in. Mike Vrabel received 19 votes. Liam Coen finished with 16. Mike Macdonald earned 8. Kyle Shanahan had 6. Ben Johnson received 1.
What stands out is the last name on the list. Ben Johnson getting one Coach of the Year vote does not match what happened on the field in Chicago this season.
What the voting says
Coach of the Year voting often follows a pattern. Voters lean toward surprise teams, defensive jumps, or coaches who fit a clean national story. It is not always a full evaluation of total impact.
Mike Vrabel overachieved and is in the Super Bowl. Liam Coen was rewarded for offensive growth. Mike Macdonald is also in the Super Bowl. Kyle Shanahan continues to get credit for long term success.
Those selections make sense within the usual framework of the award.
What does not make sense is how little credit Ben Johnson received in comparison.
What actually happened in Chicago
Here are the facts. The Bears went 5 and 12 last season. Under Johnson, they won the NFC North. That is not a small step. That is a full turnaround.
The offense improved across the board. Most importantly, it fit the quarterback. Caleb Williams was put in positions to succeed, and his growth showed week after week.
That development was not accidental. It was coached.
Johnson also showed adaptability. The Bears adjusted game plans. They attacked matchups. They did not rely on the same answers every week. That is a sign of strong leadership on the offensive side of the ball.
Culture is harder to quantify, but it showed up in how the team handled pressure. They responded after losses. They played with confidence late in games. For a franchise that has struggled to sustain momentum, that matters.
One Coach of the Year vote feels disconnected from reality. Turning a last place team into a division winner while developing a quarterback usually puts a coach squarely in this conversation. This time, it barely registered.
Why the Bears should not ignore this
This is not about awards. It is about trajectory.
The Bears do not need outside approval to validate what they are building. The results already speak for themselves. Still, the lack of recognition is hard to ignore, and it will not be forgotten inside the building.
That edge matters. Teams that believe they are overlooked tend to lean into it.
That mindset showed up Thursday night when DJ Moore accepted the NFL Moment of the Year award. He did not focus on trophies or attention. He talked about what comes next.
“This season was special,” Moore said. “Can’t wait to cause more havoc on the league next year.”
That quote fits where the Bears are right now. They are not chasing validation. They are focused on what they can become. If the rest of the league wants to overlook it, Chicago will be fine using that as motivation.