During his three years as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson made it clear he had a very deep bag of tricks, as evidenced by the creativity of Detroit’s offense. Whether it be a fake stumble from quarterback Jared Goff to trick the defense into thinking there was a messed-up snap to lining offensive lineman up out wide, Johnson has shown a penchant for doing the unexpected.
So when Chicago Bears offensive lineman Theo Benedet was seen streaking down the field during Chicago’s Wild Card matchup against the Green Bay Packers, the NFL world couldn’t help but be wowed at Benedet’s route and Johnson’s postseason tricks after taking over as the Bears head coach for the 2025 season.
NFL World Wowed by Ben Johnson as Bears OT Runs Seam Route
With the Bears in a 21-3 hole in the first half, Johnson had to go deeper into his bag in the second half to try and mount yet another comeback this season. After forcing the Packers into a three-and-out, Johnson decided to get creative on Chicago’s opening drive in the second half.
After a three-yard gain from rookie running back Kyle Monangai on the first play of the drive, Johnson sent in Benedet, an offensive lineman, to report as an eligible receiver. While the Bears’ head coach had gotten the linemen the ball near the line of scrimmage, allowing them to use their size and speed to gain some yards, that was not quite the case with Benedet.
The second-year offensive tackle from the Canadian Football League lined up out wide and took off when the ball was snapped, and ran a seam route. While he was not targeted, tight end Colston Loveland, who was targeted, did not catch the ball; the route, however, caught the NFL world’s attention. The league’s official X account posted the play, commenting, “Bears OL Theo Benedet was out wide running a route.”
Bears OL Theo Benedet was out wide running a route 👀
GBvsCHI on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/QF8LEu5s5r— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2026
While the NFL was clearly surprised, including the “👀” emoji in their post, NFL Network’s Nate Tice couldn’t believe what he was seeing either, enjoying Johnson’s play design on X, saying, “Theo Benedet was split out and hit over 16 mph running a route LOL.”
Theo Benedet was split out and hit over 16 MPH running a route lol
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) January 11, 2026
While many were mystified by Benedet running the route, others couldn’t help but be impressed by Johnson’s continuous surprises and top-notch play design. One account posted the clip, explaining, “Ben Johnson is diabolical: Chicago Bears offensive line Theo Benedet was out wide running a vertical route in a playoff game.”
BEN JOHNSON IS DIABOLICAL:
Chicago #Bears offensive line Theo Benedet was out wide running a vertical route in a playoff game.
Benedet is 6 foot 7 and 305 pounds.
🤯🤯🤯
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) January 11, 2026
While many celebrated the play, some couldn’t help but laugh at the slight absurdity of the route, especially with Benedet not being targeted. WeAreBigGuys, a self-proclaimed No. 1 linemen account on X, questioned what he saw on the screen, posting, “Why was Theo Benedet running a seam?”
Why was Theo Benedet running a seam 😂pic.twitter.com/GzXKUAdsw1
— WeAreBigGuys (@WeAreBigGuys) January 11, 2026
While nothing came of the play, the drive would end with a field goal, but more importantly, would be the start of the Bears’ slow, yet steady comeback in the second half.
After being held to a field goal in the first two quarters and facing a 21-3 deficit, Chicago scored 13 unanswered points with just over ten minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Will Johnson be able to finish off another jaw-dropping comeback?