The Bears are now officially in a position to hire Ben Johnson if they choose, and Johnson is reportedly interested in the job. As of January 20th, NFL teams can make coaching hires unless they’re still in the playoffs. The Bears are considered favorites to land either Ben Johnson or Mike McCarthy, with Brian Flores also mentioned but seemingly less likely. According to Dianna Russini, Johnson is expected to finalize his schedule for in-person meetings in the coming days, with strong interest from the Raiders, Bears, and Jaguars. However, he may not meet with all three as he evaluates his options.
To gauge fan opinion, I conducted a 24-hour poll with over 7,000 votes, asking Bears fans who they preferred as head coach: Ben Johnson, Mike McCarthy, or “Other” (allowing comments for alternative suggestions). The results were surprising.
Who would you like to see as the Bears next head coach?
— Dave (@dave_bfr) January 19, 2025
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Ben Johnson received over 85% of the votes, while Mike McCarthy got only about 10.5%. Given McCarthy’s impressive resume, I was surprised by how little interest Bears fans have in him as a candidate.
Kinda shocked how few fans like the idea of McCarthy in Chicago https://t.co/3pkc9cpqd2
— Dave (@dave_bfr) January 19, 2025
It’s clear that for many fans, it’s “Ben Johnson or bust” in Chicago. Other names mentioned included Todd Monken, Kliff Kingsbury, Brian Flores, and even Jon Gruden. Despite these suggestions, it seems this is a two-horse race, with Ben Johnson being the overwhelming favorite among Bears fans.
