The Chicago Bears have come to an agreement with former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to become their new head coach the club announced Monday.
Johnson replaces Matt Eberflus, who was fired on November 29th, and will become the 19th head coach in the history of the franchise. The 38 year old became available sooner than most anticipated after his Lions were eliminated in shocking fashion by the Washington Commanders.
Johnson had become the “it” name on the coaching circuit over the last few seasons given his success with the Lions offence which regularly ranked amongst the leagues best since he became offensive coordinator. A former Boston College graduate assistant, Johnson first broke into the league with the Miami Dolphins in 2012.
After taking on a variety of roles with the club between 2012 and 2018, he then became an offensive quality control coach with the Lions in 2019. From there, he was elevated to Tight Ends coach, then passing game coordinator, and eventually landed the offensive coordinator role in 2022.
The UNC grad was highly sought after by multiple teams last offseason, but opted to stay in Detroit for another run at a Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the Lions would once again fall short this season, paving the way for Johnson to seek a full time head coaching job in earnest in 2025.
According to reports, the new Bears HC also interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, and New England Patriots during his team’s first round bye. Chicago is believed to have interviewed 17 different candidates for their head coaching vacancy before zeroing in on Johnson.
Bears QB Caleb Williams has openly professed his admiration for the Lions offence and Johnson’s play-calling skills during his rookie campaign.
“I think during our game, I would sit back and watch and try and learn something while I watch,” Williams said. “It was fascinating to watch because he always had wrinkles for counters and things like that throughout the game. I think he’s obviously done really well, so it’d be cool to see how that all goes down.”
A large part of Chicago’s interest in Johnson stems from his ability to maximize the potential of his quarterbacks. A trait he displayed at both the collegiate and professional ranks. Jared Goff thrived under Johnson’s systems, as the Lions finished the 2024 regular season 1st in points scored, and with the top seed in the NFC at 15-2.
Fans in Chicago soured on Eberflus and his staff’s conservative play calling schemes, as Williams was sacked a league high 68 times in his first taste of NFL action. Nevertheless, the number 1 overall pick showed flashes of brilliance during his rookie year as well, most notably during his team’s 35-16 thrashing of Jacksonville where he tossed 4 TDs and looked every bit the part of a franchise QB.
Besides Williams, Johnson inherits a team that is high on talent, but hasn’t seemed to be able to put it all together on the field quite yet. The team featured a trio of wide receivers in DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze which would make most offensive coordinators salivate. But the passing game never seemed to click, resulting in a disappointing last place finish in the NFC North.
Now, the team has a projected $74.8M in cap space (4th most in the league) and a top 10 pick coming up in this year’s NFL draft. With a former number 1 overall pick on a rookie QB deal, and a highly regarded OC taking over the reins on the sideline, Chicago seems well positioned to tackle the offseason and start rebuilding fans hope for their 2025 season.
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