In a lot of ways, Ben Johnson could pick his destination this offseason.
The former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator was the most coveted coaching candidate over the past two hiring cycles, thanks in large part to his hand in transforming Detroit’s offense into one of the most explosive in the NFL.
Now, Johnson takes over the Chicago Bears in hopes of leading an organizational turnaround.
One year removed from helping guide Jared Goff into becoming the NFL’s second-leading passer, Johnson arrives in the Windy City hoping to help transform wunderkind former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams into one of the premier players at the position, and restore the glory of one of the league’s heritage franchises.
Ben Johnson opens up on why he chose the Chicago Bears
During the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Johnson revealed that it was an easy decision to choose the Chicago Bears, among the teams that were interested in hiring him.
“Once I made it through those interviews,” Johnson said during an appearance on CBS Sports. “Chicago really popped out. I had great alignment there with Geroge McCaskey, with Kevin Warren, with Ryan Poles, loved the synergy and the aura coming from it.
“And, of course, it’s an iconic franchise with a storied history. There were so many good things there, with a great roster already in place, and of course, the quarterback doesn’t hurt.”
Johnson has made no efforts in hiding his affinity for Williams, who he revealed last month kept flashing on film when he was studying opposing defenses playing the Bears as he prepared to put together the Lions’ game plans last season.
It is clear that there was a mutual admiration society between Johnson and the Bears power brokers, who aggressively pursued bringing him to Chicago this offseason and wound up closing the deal with the coach who could have punched his ticket virtually anywhere last month.
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