After a disappointing season, in which, among other things, they were unable to properly develop their rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and for the first time in the team’s century-long history had to fire the head coach (Matt Eberflus) during the regular season, the Chicago Bears hope they have finally hit the mark with the hiring of Ben Johnson as their next head coach.
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Johnson was the offensive coordinator for the Lions and considered one of the reasons for Detroit's great offensive level in the last two years, which included the National Conference final in 2023 and being the best team in the NFC in 2024.
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The Lions were hoping to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in their history, but on Saturday at their stadium, they surprisingly lost to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs. The early elimination opened the window to negotiate with Johnson, who up to that point, and according to the regulations, had only had virtual meetings with interested teams.
Why did the Chicago Bears want Ben Johnson?
Thanks to the Lions' great offensive game and being able to bring quarterback Jared Goff to the best level of his career, Johnson had become the top candidate for teams looking for a head coach. Among them, the Bears, Raiders, and Jaguars.
The Las Vegas team seemed to have the upper hand thanks to Tom Brady, commentator and also one of the team's shareholders, who had been directly involved in the negotiations.
But before 48 hours had passed since Detroit's elimination, Johnson reached an agreement with the Bears, a clear sign that the coach sees potential in the Chicago team thanks to the presence of Caleb Williams, a couple of good receivers like D.J. Moore and the young Rome Odunze, and plenty of salary cap space to spend on reinforcements in 2025.
This will be Johnson's first job as head coach, at 38 years old, who joined the Detroit staff in 2019 after a seven-year stint as an assistant with the Miami Dolphins.
Developing Williams will be the top priority for the new head coach after the Bears' fourth consecutive losing season. The first overall pick of the 2024 Draft threw for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions. However, he was sacked 68 times, a franchise record and league leader.
Chicago needs an urgent change
The Bears confirmed that they interviewed 17 candidates. That list included former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, former Packers and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, and former Titans coach Mike Vrabel (who quickly signed with the Patriots).
Chicago has only made three playoff appearances since the 2006 team won the NFC. The Bears' only Super Bowl title was during the 1985 season.
Chicago has not won a postseason game since the team advanced to the NFC final under Lovie Smith in 2010.