The Chicago Bears’ most pressing concerns after Super Bowl LIX

The Super Bowl is over. Congrats to the Philadelphia Eagles.

It’s now time for a crucial offseason for the Bears as they begin a new era.

Here are the questions the Bears face as they head into Ben Johnson’s first offseason as the team’s head coach.

Where do the Bears start?

For a team that has a core of skilled players and a young quarterback with sky-high potential, the Bears have some work to do.

Most everyone who watched this season can agree: the Chicago Bears’ offseason has to focus on the team’s offensive line.

Some have suggested the Bears select Boise State running back and Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, while others have suggested a defensive lineman.

The longer we deliberate, the more we come back to the fact the Bears gave up 68 sacks last season. The Bears need to start with the offensive line with both free agency and the draft. The Week 1 starters for the entire interior of their offensive line have been released or are not under contract anymore.

The Bears and first-year head coach Ben Johnson have a chance to remake the entirety of the Bears’ offensive line.

The Bears should take that chance and not look back.

Do the Bears re-sign Keenan Allen? Or go a different direction?

On a podcast two months ago, Allen talked about where he’ll sign next in his NFL career.

“It’s Chicago or I’m back to LA,” Allen said on “The Big Dog Show” with teammate Marcedes Lewis and ESPN 1000 host David Kaplan. Meaning, he’ll either play for the Chargers, Rams or Bears.

So, the Bears will have to decide.

Will they bring back Allen, who was hampered by injuries but still caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns as a trusted option for Caleb Williams?

The bottom line is how much money Allen will command in free agency. The Bears have four picks in the first three rounds, plus plenty of cap space to spend on a third receiver behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze.

The Bears’ first order of business will be signing an impact free agent on the offensive line. If Allen commands too much, that would get in the way of that, the Bears might not have a choice except to move on.

The offseason’s X-factor: Ben Johnson’s offense

Speaking of Williams, the biggest development this offseason has to be how he takes in Ben Johnson’s offense.

The coach said it himself: this offense will be stripped down to the studs and rebuilt with Williams at the forefront, as it should be.

But, how long will that process take?

It’s fair to expect Johnson to have something ready by the time April rolls around, but the issue this year with Caleb Williams was how he learned the offense. The X-factor is how much of a better teacher can Johnson be for Williams as compared to Shane Waldron?

All signs point to two factors. First, Johnson is a better teacher offensively. Second, Johnson has been preparing for this for a moment. He’s ready to take Williams to the next level.

Can the Bears capture lightning in a bottle?

The Washington Commanders turned their team around in one offseason, beefing up the offensive and defensive lines.

Those are the two points of emphasis for the Bears this offseason.

If the offensive skill players and Williams can get the offense down, and the defense can adapt to Dennis Allen, the Bears should be seen as a team that could be the next Commanders.

Not saying an NFC Title game run is in their immediate future, but that’s the plan under Johnson.