The Chicago Bears may have finished at the bottom of the NFC North, but they are feeling quite good about themselves today.
Ben Johnson, the most coveted coach on the market, is set to become the head coach of the Bears. The news was announced on Monday through a social media post by Priority Sports — the agency that represents Johnson. The former offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions will become the 19th head coach in franchise history.
Johnson’s hiring marks the end of a multi-year flirtation with teams around the league for their respective head coach openings. The 38-year-old was one of 17 candidates the Bears interviewed for their head coach vacancy.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Johnson is deep in the process of putting together his staff. Dennis Allen — formerly the head coach of the New Orleans Saints — is the leading candidate to become Chicago’s defensive coordinator. Additionally, Johnson is said to be in talks with Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi about becoming the special teams coordinator.
Johnson became the top coach on the market after leading Detroit’s offense to new heights over the past three years. In addition to the Lions averaging 28.2 PPG from 2022-2024 with Johnson as OC — the highest mark in the NFL — the Lions ranked No. 1 in points scored this season. Conversely, the Bears have long struggled to put points on the board. During the Super Bowl era, the Bears have had four seasons in which they’ve averaged 26 PPG — Johnson led Detroit to 26 PPG in all three seasons as its OC.
Chicago’s new head coach will inherit a talented roster that features a potential superstar at quarterback in Caleb Williams — the No. 1 pick in 2024. The Bears have good weapons around Williams but desperately need to improve their offensive line. Johnson will have an opportunity to enhance the team through the draft — Chicago owns the No. 10 pick and four total picks within the top-72 — and free agency. Entering the offseason, Chicago has the fourth-most cap space available ($74.8 million).
