Chicago Bears fans have been waiting for any sign of hope that the Ben Johnson rumors have actual legs. It has been reported for weeks that the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator has interest in the job, but most insiders have been hesitant to go all in on the possibility. They say he will take an interview, but nothing beyond that. Well, that seems to have changed. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network is one of the most well-connected in the industry and has broken Bears news several times in recent years.
That is why his recent update on the Johnson situation was eye-opening, to say the least.
Nothing is ever set in stone this early in the process. The Bears still need to satisfy the Rooney Rule to meet with minority candidates and likely will want to meet with others on their list. However, this is the biggest sign yet that there is mutual interest from both sides. Johnson is intrigued by the Bears job, and Chicago seems fascinated by what he could do for Caleb Williams.
Ben Johnson feels like the next big thing.
Every once in a while, there is a young, ascending offensive coach who takes the league by storm. Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay both ascended in the mid-2010s. Mike McDaniel followed a few years later, along with Matt Lafleur and Kevin O’Connell. Johnson seems to fall into that same category. He is 39 years old and is the mastermind behind arguably the best offense in the NFL. Detroit is a well-oiled machine, hanging 30-40 points on almost every opponent they come across. The fact he’s been doing it without the benefit of an elite quarterback only enhances his candidacy.
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Time will tell how this goes down. It is common knowledge by now that Ben Johnson wants alignment between himself and the front office. Many believe that means he’d prefer to work with his own personnel guy. That has many worried that he might shy away from the job if the Bears insist on keeping GM Ryan Poles. Perhaps they may try to convince the coach that Poles isn’t in any danger of losing his job and can be a great partner for building this organization into a contender. The next few weeks will tell the story.
I know that Luke Getsy wanted to be head coach. He’s available.
Wow! This is overdrive? What is “stuck in the mud?” NOTHING NEW HERE FOLKS! NOTHING TO SEE HERE! MOVE ALONG, MOVE ALONG! DON’T FORGET YOUR GROCERIES! There is absolutely nothing that is new here. (I worked for 5 years at CBS as a producer for news and the entire job is determining what is new, and when to drop stories to actually cover news.) Erik Lambert, as noted by absolutely everyone else, is printing old kaka on old paper. Bleacher Report just did a nice breakdown on Zac Robinson (Lambert did a breakdown on Liam Coen, to be fair). But… Read more »
I think it’s gonna be interesting how this all plays out. I have zero “insider” knowledge. But from what I’m reading, Vrabel is the front runner that both the Raiders and Saints want for their HC (Raiders make the most sense due to him and Brady playing together). Vrabel also said he wants the Pats job that currently isn’t open. Warren doing his due diligence on Flores is prolly because of the close connections he still has in MN. With all that said, it could come down to Johnson and Flores. And in reality, could come to who wants to… Read more »
While no one knows how Ben Johnson will be as a HC, the thing about him that is promising is that unlike most previous Bear hires, he does not seem to be married to a “system” but rather finds ways to work successfully with the roster he has. For example, last night against SF, Joey Bosa is elite, and beating Detroit’s “proven” 1st round left tackle consistently, but Johnson figured out how to not let that wreck the game. That’s winning coaching, something the Bears have not had in decades.
The Bears would have to lie to Ben to accept Poles. Well, we are in the largest lying era since the early 1950s, so it might work on him.