The Chicago Bears have a new head coach, with the team reportedly finalizing a deal to hire none other than Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who will be tasked with bringing along quarterback Caleb Williams and turning the Bears into a perennial winner.
This is a massive get for the Bears, as Johnson was widely considered the hottest head coach candidate in the NFL after having a ton of success with the Lions. His resume speaks for itself.
"In three seasons with Ben Johnson as the Lions OC, Detroit ranked top-5 in scoring all three years, finishing 5th in 2022 and 2023 and 1st in 2024 at 33.2 PPG," ESPN's Adam Schefter wrote.
"The Lions led the NFL in scoring this season for the first time since 1954. Only the 49ers had more 20-yd plays (240) over the last three seasons than the Lions’ 230 with Johnson running the offense. The Lions’ 28.2 offensive PPG from 2022-24 were the most in the NFL," Schefter added.
The Bears will hope Johnson can bring that level of success with him to Chicago, where he already has a promising young quarterback in place in Williams, who showed flashes during his rookie campaign but also saw struggles.
Prior to the Lions' matchup with the Bears last month, Johnson made it quite clear he's a fan of what Williams brings to the table.
“There is no question the guy is talented," Johnson said of Williams in December. "I remember standing on the sideline last game and you can hear the ball whistle by you. He's got quite a fastball and has some creativity to him.”
There has been momentum building over the past week that Johnson would take the Las Vegas Raiders job. But, as Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported, having Williams in place in Chicago is what put the Bears over the top.
"Per source: Ben Johnson choosing the better overall situation, including young quarterback in place with the Bears, over the money the Raiders were prepared to offer, the chance to help pick the next GM and opportunity to work with Tom Brady," Bonsignore reported.
The Bears entered this offseason needing to do everything possible to put Williams in the best position to succeed. Hiring Johnson is a fantastic first step to accomplishing that goal.
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