Will Ben Johnson even be interested in the Chicago Bears job? One analyst doesn’t believe so
The Chicago Bears are at a very interesting point in their season and a point in which things could go south in a hurry if they are not careful. With back-to-back losses and Matt Eberflus taking a lot of criticism, many Bears fans have pointed at the possibility of Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson being a replacement.
That is if the Bears move on from Eberflus.
Last offseason, Ben Johnson’s name was the hot topic among coach candidates before he decided to return to Detroit. His name will pop up again this offseason but one NFL expert wants fans to temper their expectations, including the Chicago Bears.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter talked about Ben Johnson during Thursday’s episode of “Get Up”, and his comments are not good for Bears fans.
“Ben Johnson is going to be very, very selective about the place that he chooses to go if he decides to even leave Detroit. He is going to be very careful. I don’t know that he desires to leave that division to head in the division to go to a place that you’re talking about the dysfunction that has existed within that organization. We’ll see. That’s up to him. But I believe he is going to be very selective in how he approaches how to do his business.”
Well, crap. That’s not good.
Schefter completely throws water on the Ben Johnson to Chicago hope and while he doesn’t mention them specifically, it’s clear who he is talking about.
On the future of Lions OC Ben Johnson… pic.twitter.com/z1Z5xcF4LZ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 7, 2024
Would Ben Johnson want the dysfunction that comes with the Chicago Bears?
The key point in Schefter’s words are that the Bears ave some dysfunction. And he’s right, which isn’t surprising. It feels like every single year there is something that is unordinary about the Bears and we are seeing it play out again this year. What makes it that much worse is that they have a promising young quarterback in Caleb Williams to build around.
Chicago would be an attractive job for any candidate, especially an offensive-minded coach like Johnson is. With the weapons they have a total rebuild is not needed which is a benefit.
Now, this isn’t the end of the Johnson rumors in Chicago and it’s just one analysts’ opinion. Plus, Johnson is likely not even focused on open jobs at the moment but rather on the Detroit Lions and them holding first place in the NFC. The Lions are a legit contender to win a Super Bowl and Johnson is a big role in that.
Johnson’s work with the Lions over the past few years has been impressive as FanSided notes, something that should attact the Bears to him even more this offseason if there is an opening:
Over the past few seasons, Detroit’s had one of the most high-powered, consistent, creative and aesthetically pleasing offensive units with Johnson at the controls. They ranked in the top five in yards and points in 2022 and 2023. This year, they’re seventh in the former category and first in the latter, highlighting how effectively the Lions move the ball and score.
Poaching Johnson from an NFC North rival would be a massive win for the Bears. Moreover, given their current roster construction and assertive brass led by general manager Ryan Poles, Chicago is an appealing situation to take over.
Expect the rumors to continue in the coming months…
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