The Chicago Bears have had a long run of bad head coaches over the past 13 years. Ever since Lovie Smith’s nine-year run with the team from 2004-2012, no Bears head coach has lasted more than four seasons, and only Matt Nagy lasted that long. John Fox lasted three seasons, Matt Eberflus two and a half, and Marc Trestman two.
Now, Chicago hopes that first-year head coach Ben Johnson will break the cycle and help lead the Bears back to relevancy in the NFC North, and the NFL in general. And they have good reason to be optimistic.
After all, Johnson was the most sought after coaching candidate in this past cycle, meaning he could have any job that he wanted. And the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator chose Chicago (largely due to the opportunity to work with quarterback Caleb Williams).
Will Chicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson Be Successful?
While Bears fans may be optimistic that Johnson will be able to turn the team’s fortune around, the fact of the matter is that all of recent predecessors mentioned above were also successful coordinators. There is no question that the Chicago head coach is one of the best offensive minds in the game, but the question is whether or not he can build a dominant offense while still fulfilling the extra responsibilities that his new job demands.
Mike Jones of The Athletic recently wrote of Johnson:
“In previous offseasons, Johnson rebuffed the advances of other head coach-needy teams, preferring the freedom to focus exclusively on running an offense while aiming to help guide the Lions to a Super Bowl. But Johnson jumped at the opportunity to work with 2024 No. 1 draft pick Williams and shape the Bears into contenders.
“There are so many demands of a head coach, from daily scheduling, uniform selections, travel plans, assistant mentoring, roster evaluations … the list goes on. Johnson may find it hard to devote as much time to crafting offensive game plans as he did in Detroit. But the offensive wizardry he displayed there is what got him the job in Chicago. How will the rookie head coach manage to juggle and live up to expectations in the Windy City?”
Of course, the answer to that question remains to be seen. Johnson has his franchise quarterback and an exciting young wide receiver in Rome Odunze. But can he build up the offensive line, which allowed the most sacks in the NFL last season? Can he weather the daily and weekly storms that head coaches need to weather?
Undoubtedly, Johnson will face a bit of a learning curve, especially early in his first season as head coach. Whether or not he will succeed, though, will be determined by how well and quickly he learns those lessons.
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