Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said Thursday that he doesn't have to provide motivation for his players because the team's lack of media attention following a 13-win season has done it for him.
"I just go pull out my phone, look at the NFL Network website, and just pop up here. And I'm just curious if I see any photos or anything about the Jacksonville Jaguars. ... I think I'll see 40 pictures of Caleb Williams, and I won't see a single thing about any of our players on here," Coen said during an interview on 1010 XL.
Ben Johnson, who's entering his second season as the Chicago Bears' head coach, was later asked about Coen's comments and whether his team is alternatively receiving too much publicity ahead of the upcoming campaign.
"Well, we're the No. 1 regression candidate," Johnson told reporters Friday. "I think we've got plenty of motivation ourselves. We talked about Caleb in the past. He's used to handling a lot of attention, so I'm not worried about that."
Chicago has been labeled as a team that could take a step back in 2026 due to several statistics that went in its favor last season and usually don't carry over year to year.
The Bears' defense recorded a league-high 33 takeaways in 2025 despite ranking just 29th in yards per play allowed. The unit also posted a 148.81 turnover EPA, the second-highest single-season mark of any team since 2020, according to TruMedia.
Chicago's offense also had the third-highest explosive run rate, and the team's offensive line was fairly healthy throughout the season, with four of its starters playing at least 16 games. The club also set an NFL record by securing seven victories - including its wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers - after trailing in the final two minutes of regulation.
"We're always the hunters and that's the mindset," Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said Thursday, according to 104.3 The Score's Chris Emma. "Because it don't really matter about what anybody else is doing. It's about how we're going about our process and what we do. We're always the hunters. That's the mindset we've taken."
The Bears will open their season Sept. 13 against the Carolina Panthers.
