NFC Notes: Dan Campbell, Ben Johnson, Bears, Lions, Packers

Bears

• New Bears HC Ben Johnson: “It was clear to me from the beginning that the priorities were straight.” (Kevin Fishbain)
• Johnson added that he wanted to stay in the division and had the following message for his players: “Get comfortable being uncomfortable. The bar has been set higher than it’s ever been set before. The only way for this team, and for you as players, to reach your potential is to be pushed and challenged. That’s exactly what I and my staff plan on doing.” (Fishbain)
• Johnson on his perception of the Bears entering 2024: “Going into this season I felt like this place was a sleeping giant. I was personally more concerned about the Bears than I was any other team in the division.” (Courtney Cronin)
• Johnson confirmed that he will call offensive plays for the team. (Scott Bair)

Lions

Lions HC Dan Campbell feels that the team’s title window remains open beyond this season despite potential personnel changes 

“We got to where we wanted to get to, and then we did not perform,” Campbell said on Monday, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “And, man, credit Washington, they did what they needed to do, and they played a good game. But a little bit for us, when you feel like, ‘Hey, you got to bring your A-game.’ I think if we bring our B-game, we’ve got a chance to win that game and we didn’t bring that. So, that’s just a little bit of the — that’s the frustration. I know everybody’s frustrated, I know the fans are, certainly our team, coaches, everybody in the organization.”

“I’m back on my feet, ready to roll, and I’ve acknowledged, I can look in the mirror and say, ‘You know what, you failed, man. What are you going to do about it?’ So, that’s where we’re at and move forward, man,” Campbell continued. “That core group is still intact and some of these guys are now — we’ve signed some back, some are up on contracts and that’ll be ongoing. But yeah, we absolutely do (have a window to contend still). And I think the most important thing is … you’ve got your culture, you’ve got your identity and you’ve got players that fit into that, and we’ve got that. We’ve got players in every pivotal position you can ask for to have success. And those guys are made the right way, so absolutely, our window is open.”

Packers

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst had high praise for C Josh Myers and hopes to bring him back next year.

“I thought he had his best year,” Gutekunst said, via Packers Wire. “He dealt with some things during this year that were tough, and I thought he fought through it like a champion. He’s certainly an asset to our football team. I know Jordan (Love) trusts him very much as his center. He’s a UFA, so we’ll see where all that goes, but I can’t say enough good things about Josh Myers, not only as a player but as a leader. He really does embody a Green Bay Packer and kind of what we’re looking for.”

• In his final projection of 2025 compensatory picks, Over The Cap’s Nick Korte projects the Packers getting a seventh-round pick for the loss of OT Yosh Nijman. 
• Packers DL Tedarrell Slaton and LB Lukas Van Ness were each fined $11,255 for Unnecessary Roughness (late hit).