NEWSLETTER
Two of the NFL’s top insiders hinting at Ben Johnson’s potential interest in the Chicago Bears head coaching position has certainly grabbed my attention.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter led the way with this nugget (h/t Matt Clapp/DaBearNecess) during ESPN’s Sunday morning NFL pre-game show:
"Everybody's gonna have their eye on Ben Johnson… And I think he might have some interest in that job. We'll see if they can convince him to come to Chicago…" – Adam Schefter pic.twitter.com/6uixV9wnbz— Matt Clapp (@DaBearNecess) December 1, 2024
Here is what Schefty had to say on NFL Sunday Countdown (bold emphasis mine):
“The Chicago Bears made the first in-season head coaching change in the 100-plus year history of the franchise firing Matt Eberflus and promoting Thomas Brown, the offensive coordinator, to interim head coach. Now, Thomas Brown will have an opportunity to coach for that job. The Bears will consider other candidates as well. Everybody is going to have their on Ben Johnson, the Lions offensive coordinator, and I think he might have some interest in that job. We’ll see if they can convince him to Chicago.”
This was an eye-opening segment for me because Schefter seemed to throw cold water on the idea of Ben Johnson leaving Detroit for Chicago back in November. This is what the ESPN insider had to say then:
“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.”
MORE: Ranking Potential Chicago Bears Head Coaching Candidates
Going from insinuating that Johnson might not be a fit for the Bears job to suggesting that he could have an interest in the span of a month encapsulates how quickly things can change in NFL circles.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport also connects Ben Johnson and the Bears
ESPN’s Adam Schefter linking the Bears and Ben Johnson could have been a post on its own. But this segment featuring NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport from Monday during the network’s Monday Night Football pre-game discussion had me immediately saving the video in my bookmarks. Check it out:
From @NFLGameDay: A look at what we learned today regarding the #Bears HC search. pic.twitter.com/HsjpXasm1c
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 3, 2024
Here is what I think was the most important snippet from RapSheet:
“They view this as a coveted opening. No doubt they are going to aim as high as possible as far as a candidate goes. This is all about Caleb Williams. Everything they do, every selection of a head coach is going to be is this the best for the development of Caleb Williams might point us in the direction of an offensive head coach. Obviously, we will see. Presumably it seems that is the way they are heading. As far as the candidates to consider, Ben Johnson – the Lions offensive coordinator – makes a lot of sense. Going to be one of the top candidates. I do believe he would consider this opportunity if all things go well.”
Rapoport also goes on to mention former Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel, Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn, and Washington Commanders Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury as possible candidates. Let me be clear. Those names are worth digging into in another post for another time. I don’t want to dismiss those names off hand. But we can cross that bridge when we get to it. However, there are the two things I found to be most notable from that segment.
HMMM: Is Ben Johnson the Answer to the Bears Coaching Question?
For me, the big nuggets are that Rapoport (1) mentions the Bears will aim high for a top candidate and (2) shares his belief that Ben Johnson would consider the Bears coaching gig. There has been a lot of chatter in Bears fan and media circles that the team would go a “cheap” route. Based on history, I can understand why those conversations are taking place. However, that is not the messaging that is coming from Schefter and Rapoport. It is early. And things might change. But this certainly feels different than previous head coaching searches. At a minimum, I am giving the Kevin Warren-Ryan Poles tandem a runway to make the right call and hire the best candidate.
In the end, I am here for Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, pouring gasoline on the fire and fanning the flames connecting Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears head coach opening. Seeing that Schefter and Rapoport share similar framing, phrasing, and terminology when discussing Ben Johnson and the Bears is something I simply cannot ignore. Does that mean the Bears and Ben Johnson are going to become a thing with 100 percent certainty? No. But I do believe the reporting from a pair of the NFL’s top insiders strongly signals that Johnson is the top candidate.
