The Good, Better, Best Chant › Every chant › Game-ball tracker
Every game ball Ben Johnson has handed out
Who got one, in which game, and why. Updated after every Bears win.
40 game balls to 28 different recipients across 20 wins, through Week 9 of 2026. Cairo Santos and Caleb Williams lead with 4 each.
After every win, Ben Johnson hands out game balls in the locker room before he leads the Good, Better, Best chant. Nobody keeps the list in one place, so this page does. Every entry links to the report it came from and to that game's page, where you can watch the room.
The leaderboard
Everyone with more than one. 22 others have one each.
| Recipient | Role | Balls | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo Santos | K | 4 | Week 4 at Raiders, Week 11 at Vikings, Week 16 vs Packers, Week 7 vs Patriots |
| Caleb Williams | QB | 4 | Week 3 vs Cowboys, Week 10 vs Giants, Wild Card vs Packers, Week 6 at Falcons |
| D'Andre Swift | RB | 3 | Week 6 at Commanders, Week 1 at Panthers, Week 8 at Seahawks |
| D'Marco Jackson | LB | 3 | Week 12 vs Steelers, Week 15 vs Browns, Week 7 vs Patriots |
| Colston Loveland | TE | 2 | Week 9 at Bengals, Wild Card vs Packers |
| DJ Moore | WR | 2 | Week 15 vs Browns, Week 16 vs Packers |
By unit: offense 17, defense 16, special teams 6, and 1 to a team president.
Every game ball, 2026
| Game | Recipient | Why |
|---|---|---|
| November 8, 2026 Week 9 vs Buccaneers W 27–24 | Jaylon Johnson CB | 67-yard interception return for a touchdown. source |
| November 2, 2026 Week 8 at Seahawks W 34–17 | D'Andre Swift RB | Three touchdowns on 27 carries. source |
| Austin Booker DE | Blocked field goal and a tipped pass that became an interception. source | |
| Jeffery Simmons DT | Team-high tackles and a sack in his Bears debut. source | |
| October 22, 2026 Week 7 vs Patriots W 30–24 | Luther Burden III WR | 130 first-half yards and a touchdown. source |
| Rome Odunze WR | 69 second-half yards plus the onside-kick recovery. source | |
| D'Marco Jackson LB | Six tackles and the game's only interception. source | |
| Cairo Santos K | Career-long 58-yard field goal. source | |
| October 18, 2026 Week 6 at Falcons W 31–23 | Caleb Williams QB | 305 yards in his return from injury. source |
| Kyler Gordon CB | Three sacks and two forced fumbles in his first game in about nine months. source | |
| Grady Jarrett DT | Given on the team plane, after beating the team he played for across his first 10 seasons. source | |
| October 4, 2026 Week 4 vs Jets W 23–12 | Devin Bush LB | Four tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss against an offense held to 157 yards. source |
| September 28, 2026 Week 3 vs Eagles W 27–7 | Dennis Allen and the defense Unit | Three takeaways; Johnson said he could not single out one player. source |
| Case Keenum QB | 247 yards and three total touchdowns as the third-string starter, at 38. source | |
| September 13, 2026 Week 1 at Panthers W 59–37 | Dillon Thieneman S | Rookie safety's debut. source |
| The offensive line Unit | Accepted by guard Jonah Jackson after a 59-point day. source | |
| D'Andre Swift RB | 124 yards and three touchdowns. source |
Every game ball, 2025
| Game | Recipient | Why |
|---|---|---|
| January 10, 2026 Wild Card vs Packers W 31–27 | Colston Loveland TE | Eight catches for 137 yards. source |
| Montez Sweat DE | Second-half pressure on Jordan Love. source | |
| Caleb Williams QB | Led the comeback from 21–3 down; Johnson called him "straight ice". source | |
| December 20, 2025 Week 16 vs Packers W 22–16 (OT) | Cairo Santos K | 3-for-3 on field goals in the wind. source |
| Jahdae Walker WR | Game-tying touchdown while filling in for injured starters. source | |
| Josh Blackwell CB | Recovered the onside kick. source | |
| DJ Moore WR | 46-yard winning touchdown in overtime. source | |
| December 14, 2025 Week 15 vs Browns W 31–3 | D'Marco Jackson LB | Seven tackles, a sack and an interception. source |
| DJ Moore WR | Two touchdowns. source | |
| November 28, 2025 Week 13 at Eagles W 24–15 | No game balls were reported. This is the shirtless-chant game; Johnson credited the offensive line by name. | |
| November 23, 2025 Week 12 vs Steelers W 31–28 | D'Marco Jackson LB | 15 tackles while wearing the green dot as a fill-in starter. source |
| November 16, 2025 Week 11 at Vikings W 19–17 | Devin Duvernay KR | 56-yard kickoff return that set up the winning kick. source |
| Cairo Santos K | 48-yard field goal as time expired. source | |
| Kevin Warren Team president | An early birthday present, in the stadium he helped build while with the Vikings. source | |
| November 9, 2025 Week 10 vs Giants W 24–20 | C.J. Gardner-Johnson DB | Two sacks and nine tackles. source |
| Caleb Williams QB | Two fourth-quarter touchdowns. source | |
| November 2, 2025 Week 9 at Bengals W 47–42 | Kyle Monangai RB | Career-high 176 rushing yards in his first start. source |
| Colston Loveland TE | 118 yards and the 58-yard winning touchdown with 17 seconds left. source | |
| October 19, 2025 Week 7 vs Saints W 26–14 | Dennis Allen Defensive coordinator | Four takeaways and four sacks against his former team; the only ball Johnson gave that day. source |
| October 13, 2025 Week 6 at Commanders W 25–24 | D'Andre Swift RB | 108 rushing yards and a 55-yard touchdown catch. source |
| Jake Moody K | Game-winning 38-yard field goal as time expired, hours after being promoted from the practice squad. source | |
| September 28, 2025 Week 4 at Raiders W 25–24 | Cairo Santos K | Four field goals, including makes from 52 and 51 yards. (Shown holding a game ball in the team's own clip; not separately reported.) source |
| September 21, 2025 Week 3 vs Cowboys W 31–14 | Caleb Williams QB | 298 yards and four touchdown passes, tying his career high. source |
| Tremaine Edmunds LB | Both interceptions of Dak Prescott. source | |
| August 17, 2025 Preseason Week 2 vs Bills W 38–0 | Preseason. No game balls were reported. | |
The ones that went back to the coach
Twice, Caleb Williams has turned around and handed a ball to Johnson. Those are not counted above.
- Week 3 vs Cowboys: Caleb Williams tossed the last ball back to Johnson after his first regular-season win as head coach. source
- Wild Card vs Packers: Williams gave Johnson a ball for his first playoff win, calling the coach "monumental" in his life. source
How this list is kept
A ball is counted when a named outlet or the team itself reported it. Where a ball went to a group, such as the offensive line, it counts once. Where nothing was reported for a win, the row says so instead of guessing. The list is updated after every Bears win. Spot a mistake or a missing ball? See the about page for how to reach us.
FAQ
Who has the most game balls under Ben Johnson?
Cairo Santos and Caleb Williams lead with 4 each through Week 9 of the 2026 season. D'Andre Swift has 3; D'Marco Jackson has 3; Colston Loveland has 2; DJ Moore has 2.
How many game balls has Ben Johnson given out?
40 that have been reported, to 28 different recipients across 20 wins since August 2025.
Who got the game ball in the Bears' last win?
Jaylon Johnson, after the 27–24 win over Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 8, 2026.
Has Ben Johnson given a game ball to a coach?
Yes. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen got the only ball after the win over New Orleans, his former team, in October 2025, and shared one with the whole defense after the Week 3 win over Philadelphia in 2026. Team president Kevin Warren also got one in Minnesota.
When does Ben Johnson hand out game balls?
In the locker room right after a win, before he leads the Good, Better, Best chant. Recipients often say a few words to the team.