Ben Johnson, Bears Agree to HC Contract After Lions' Playoff Loss amid Raiders Rumors
The Chicago Bears found the head coach they hope will lead them to plenty of success during the Caleb Williams era. And they're poaching from a divisional rival in the process.
Chicago has officially hired Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to serve as its next head coach:
"Throughout our search process, I was thoroughly impressed by Ben's character, intelligence, leadership and ability to connect," general manager Ryan Poles said in a statement. "A progressive offensive mind, Ben's plan for all three phases of our team, which is centered on creating a winning and competitive environment, became evidently clear. Meeting with Ben and gaining an understanding of his process and vision, the more confident we became that Ben is the right leader for our team and that he and I will be great partners in building our team and shaping our franchise for long-term success."
The move was initially reported by multiple sources on Monday:
The news came one day after Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported the Las Vegas Raiders were preparing to make a "big push" for Johnson.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, former New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen is the "leading candidate" to be the Bears' defensive coordinator under Johnson:
This is the next step in a process that included a number of interviews and went against the way the franchise has operated throughout its history. The Bears fired Matt Eberflus in November, which marked the first time they ever fired a head coach while a season was still ongoing.
Yet Eberflus left them little choice.
Expectations were as high as they've been in years in the Windy City after Chicago drafted Williams with the No. 1 overall pick and surrounded him with an offense that featured DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet and D'Andre Swift.
It then felt like playoffs or bust when the team started 4-2, but the word bust is an understated way of describing what happened next.
The Bears were in position to improve to 5-2 with a late lead against the Washington Commanders in Week 8, but Eberflus' defense didn't guard the sidelines on the penultimate play. That allowed an easy completion to move into Hail Mary territory, and Jayden Daniels then connected on a stunning Hail Mary to end the game when Chicago didn't even pressure him.
The NFC North team then lost on the final play of the Week 11 game against the Green Bay Packers when Eberflus didn't run any more plays with a timeout and settled for a 46-yard field goal that was blocked. It also lost on the last play in overtime against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12 and again on Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions.
Williams took a sack with 32 seconds left against the Lions, and Eberflus didn't call a timeout. The offense struggled to get into position and had time to run just one final desperation incompletion as a result.
Adam Jahns and Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported Eberflus had to leave the locker room after an exchange with players, including star cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who were upset with him. That loss to the Lions ended up being his final game, and Chicago gave the interim position to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown.
Brown had already been promoted following the in-season firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and had a de-facto audition in the final five games. The team went just 1-4 in those five games, although it finished on a high note with a road victory over the rival Packers.
Ultimately, this is one of the most important hirings in franchise history.
The optimism that was in place at the start of the 2024 season shouldn't go anywhere, as Williams is still a cornerstone building block and flashed his potential a number of times during his rookie season.
Players such as Moore, Odunze, Kmet, Swift, Johnson, Montez Sweat, T.J. Edwards and Kyler Gordon, among others, are still under contract heading into the 2025 campaign. If Williams continues to make strides, the talent is in place to make the playoffs as soon as Johnson's first season.
That partnership between Johnson and Williams will be under the spotlight, as this is a franchise that has been starving for a long-term star at quarterback.
The only way the Bears will make up ground against the Packers, Vikings and Lions in a loaded division is if their new hire gets the most out of the quarterback for years to come. Ideally, this will be a partnership that emulates those of other successful coaches and quarterbacks, such as Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
It will be up to Johnson to establish that relationship right away.
Fortunately for Chicago, he has an offensive background and is familiar with the division. He helped the Lions become one of the best teams in football as their offensive coordinator the past three seasons in the exact type of franchise turnaround the Bears want.
Chicago hasn't won a playoff game since the 2010 season. By comparison, Detroit hadn't won one since the 1991 season until Johnson's offense accomplished the feat on the way to the NFC Championship Game during the 2023 campaign, though the team stumbled in the NFC Divisional Round this weekend.
Johnson's offense with the Lions was largely unstoppable at its best with Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs leading the way.
There are talented playmakers like that in Chicago, and he will look to replicate that success in his first head coaching opportunity.
