The NFL coaching carousel is officially in full swing — the most coveted head coach candidate on the market is landing in the Windy City.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chicago Bears are finalizing a deal to make Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson the franchise’s next head coach. As the architect of one of the NFL’s most elite offenses across the last few seasons, Johnson drew significant interest from several teams with coaching vacancies, especially the Las Vegas Raiders. In the end, though, he stays in-division and is set to take over a team with plenty of talent.
The Bears’ 2024 campaign had its fair share of highs and lows, but the hiring of Johnson to lead the locker room bodes well for the franchise. Chicago’s new head coach is widely regarded as one of the best offensive minds around the NFL and is an ideal mentor to mold young quarterback Caleb Williams into the franchise signal-caller he’s meant to be. Johnson has plenty of weapons to draw up plays for as well in wideouts D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, tight end Cole Kmet, and halfback D’Andre Swift.
The surplus of offensive talent, a young franchise quarterback, and a top-10 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, Chicago is an ideal situation for any incoming head coach, but especially for Johnson. Over the last three seasons as offensive coordinator in Detroit, his teams ranked fifth, fifth, and first in per-game scoring. The Bears have found their offensive guru who can hopefully unlock their scoring potential, which makes Johnson’s hiring a perfect pairing for both sides.
Over the coming days, Chicago’s new leader will fill out his coaching staff. While it’s early in the process, former Saints head coach Dennis Allen is a leading candidate to become the Bears’ next defensive coordinator, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. While Allen’s head coaching record is less than impressive, his track record calling the Saints defense is a positive one. His units consistently ranked among the top half of the league in scoring defense, yardage allowed, and takeaways.
Overall, the marriage between Johnson and the Bears has the makings of a home-run hire. He’s a talented play-caller the likes of which the franchise hasn’t seen in years who immediately raises the team’s floor and ceiling. Plus, the Bears poach an elite offensive mind from an NFC North rival, meaning he’ll coach against his former team twice a year for the forseeable future.
Is a Commanders-like surge to playoff contender status in the cards for Chicago for next season? With this hiring, the outcome suddenly feels within the realm of possibility — and even if they aren’t a contender in year one, Johnson’s presence will be immense for the outlook of the young weapons in this offense.
