NEWSLETTER
To channel the words of iconic professional wrestling voice Jim Ross, business is about to pick up when it comes to the Chicago Bears’ search for a new head coach.
Ben Johnson, the team’s presumptive No. 1 candidate, is available for in-person interviews as early as today after the Detroit Lions were one-and-done in the NFL playoffs. So if the Bears can move quickly and strike a deal with the Lions’ offensive coordinator, then you can thank Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders for knocking the top-seeded Detroit team out of the postseason.
The latest from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini hints at this week being a big one for Ben Johnson and the teams in the running to reel in the highly coveted coaching candidate:
We have discussed Chicago and Vegas as options ad nauseam. And while Jacksonville has faded from our radar, that the Jags get a mention from Russini as a team still hanging around makes me think their presence shouldn’t be ignored.
The Bears, Las Vegas Raiders, and Jacksonville Jaguars appear to be the three most viable landing spots for Ben Johnson. But as Russini mentions above, it is possible that Johnson won’t meet with every team interested in him. I’ll rage if the Bears get shut out of a Johnson meeting. Hopefully, we don’t have to cross that bridge. Acknowledging its potential presence already has me feeling itchy.
Ben Johnson Watch: Educated guesses and a pulse check
This tweet from Benjamin Albright does a good job of capturing the pulse of the NFL’s league-wide coaching search. You can read the whole thing here, but I’ll highlight the Bears (and Bears-adjacent) stuff:
- BEARS: they’ll be fighting with the Raiders to try to get Ben Johnson and my gut says this is a better job. Team has more pieces, a defense in place and a young QB. The Bears have plenty of money and no qualms about paying the $15m+ per year Johnson would command. If they’re unable to seal the deal with Johnson, pursuit probably pivots to Monken, McCarthy and/or Pete Carroll.
- RAIDERS: much like the Bears Ben Johnson is target one. The question is whether or not they can land the plane. The Raiders do have some nice pieces on either side of the ball, Bowers and Crosby are draws for anyone. That said the rest of the roster is much further away, and the AFC West is a murderers row. No young QB to build around, and only the 6th pick in the draft.
- JAGUARS: want Ben Johnson, but I think they’re plan C for him. My bet has been on Liam Coen winding up here.
Reading the tea leaves here has me thinking that the Bears and Raiders have established themselves as the teams that are most likely to land Ben Johnson. It could come down to Johnson choosing a Bears team with better pieces or a Raiders team that doesn’t have a QB solution or an obviously clear path to one, but could provide Johnson an opportunity to possibly choose his own GM in a move that could give him a longer runway to stick the landing because of what forecasts to be a longer rebuild in a rugged AFC West.
Aside from the obsessive Ben Johnson watch, Bears fans should be keeping tabs on what is happening with the New Orleans Saints:
- SAINTS: again I think Aaron Glenn is their top choice, but if he chooses NY, Mike McCarthy has a long relationship with Mickey Loomis. Joe Brady would be my plan C guess.
- JETS: I think Aaron Glenn is who they want, if he were to choose New Orleans this starts to get interesting I suspect Flores as plan b.
There is some crossover between the Bears and Jets with Aaron Glenn and Brian Flores having interviewed virtually for positions in Chicago and New York. But also there is crossover between the Saints and Bears with Glenn and Mike McCarthy being notable candidates to interview with New Orleans and Chicago. It’s like a high-stakes game of musical chairs.
Will the Bears miss their chance at Ben Johnson?
The Tribune’s Dan Wiederer acknowledges that while the Bears are gearing up to take a big swing at Ben Johnson, their efforts could ultimately result in a whiff because the team couldn’t (or wouldn’t) give the coaching candidate everything he wanted.
For instance, Johnson has made it clear through the media that he valued alignment with an ownership group and front office. For some, that came off as a message that Ben Johnson wanted to be on the same timeline as the general manager hiring him. However, with the Bears retaining Ryan Poles and the Raiders showing interest in Washington Commanders Assistant GM Lance Newmark (who has a long-standing connection with Johnson) for their general manager’s gig could be a deal-maker for Vegas. Even if Johnson is willing to work with Poles, the allure of working with someone you know and could essentially hand-pick might push the needle in the Raiders’ direction.
Meanwhile, the messaging in the latest from Adam Jahns (The Athletic) carries similar vibes to Wiederer’s Tribune piece — but with one subtle difference. Jahns’ story at The Athletic makes it seem as if we should be bracing ourselves for the Bears to reel in Mike McCarthy. To be clear, Jahns doesn’t directly say it. However, the undertones are there with how he compares McCarthy’s status as a candidate in 2025 to John Fox’s emergence as a candidate in 2015. Jahns even cited a quote from Chairman George McCaskey when Fox was hired, adding that the Bears could repeat history.
With in-person interviews on the horizon, we could see the Bears’ coaching search come to an end this week. I hope you are as ready as I am.
