The Chicago Bears are hiring Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as the franchise’s next head coach, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Johnson had been the most coveted potential hire this offseason, and now defects from the NFC North champion Lions to Chicago, where he’ll be tasked with overseeing quarterback Caleb Williams’ development while playing an instrumental role in the Bears’ rebuild into a postseason contender.
General manager Ryan Poles and Bears ownership acted quickly to make this hire, less than 48 hours after the Lions’ season came to an end at the hand of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.
Alongside head coach Dan Campbell, Johnson played a vital role in the Lions’ development into one of the most competitive teams in the NFL, and the offense one of the most explosive.
What Ben Johnson hire reveals about the Chicago Bears
Nothing about the Bears’ trajectory as a franchise matters more than Williams reaching his lofty potential and developing into one of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks. Now, no one will figure a more vital role in Williams’ career than Johnson.
Johnson helped build the Lions into an offensive juggernaut around quarterback Jared Goff, so it will be fascinating to see how he is able to mold Williams’ abundant skill set in 2025 and beyond in an offense that includes weapons such as D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift and Cole Kmet.
Over the past two seasons, Johnson has been the most coveted coordinator among potential head coaching vacancies, and it is easy to see why after the Lions’ offense finished the 2024 campaign as the NFL’s No. 2 rated offense while averaging 409.5 yards of total offense and scoring a league-high 564 points.
The Bears are betting big that Johnson will be able to replicate–and build on that success in Chicago and be the catalyst for this franchise challenging the Lions for NFC North supremacy, and more, in the years to come.
Chicago Bears fans explode on social media following report of Ben Johnson hire
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