Bears Hire Ben Johnson as Head Coach
Former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has agreed to become the next head coach of the Chicago Bears.
Ben Johnson was one of the most sought after names in this years hiring cycle as he was the genius mind behind the Lions historical season. The Lions success this past season as a 15-2 team was due to having one of the most electrifying offenses we have seen in a long time. With Johnson as the OC, the Lions averaged 409.5 yards per game offensively, a franchise record, and his unit's 68 total offensive touchdowns were the most by any team in the NFL. The Lions offense also ranked 1st in the NFL for Offensive PPG, Yards PG, TD Per Drive, and Red Zone TD Percentage. After this stunning offensive year, Johnson’s stock began to rise and it became apparent he would be taking a head coaching job this offseason.
“This is exactly where I wanted to be” said Johnson. "We're going to push. We're going to challenge. And along with those high standards, there's also going to be a high level of support as well. Everybody in this building is going to be all about helping you guys out. How do you become the best versions of yourselves? That's what it's going to be about from start to finish. When you walk in, it's going to be crystal clear—the communication, the structure and consistency—and that will never waver."
The Bears are coming off a rather disappointing 2024 season, finishing 5-12 and firing their head coach mid-season for the first time in franchise history. Johnson will be replacing Matt Eberflus, who’s 2.5 years with the Bears was extremely unimpressive. In his time with the Bears, Eberflus finished with a record of 14-32, a 5-19 record in one score games which is the worst record out of 221 NFL coaches who have played at least 20 one score games, and he has never won a Sunday road game as the Bears head coach. The Bears also fired their Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron in his first year with the team in week 9.
The Bears had a phenomenal and promising offseason bringing in names like Keenan Allen, De’Andre Swift, Rome Odunze, and first overall draft pick Caleb Williams making them one of the best offensive cores on paper. With the 10th overall draft pick in this years draft and Ben Johnson in charge of the calls, the Bears could potentially draft star RB Ashton Jeanty and create a super-team offense. All of this offense needs to be supported by a solid offensive line in order to be successful. Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times in his rookie season, which is the third-most in NFL history. After roster cuts, the Bears are suspected to have around $96 million in cap space which must be spent on O-line players to support their star studded offense.
In 2025 the Bears will either be one of the best offenses the league has seen in a long time under Ben Johnson, or the Bears will continue their cycle of ruining a franchise quarterback due to poor management.
