The Chicago Bears have a new head coach, and for once, they got the guy. Getting their guy is one thing, but Ben Johnson was the guy. Every fanbase of a team searching for a head coach had Johnson atop their list, and the Bears stepped up and ensured they landed him.
Let’s talk about the franchise’s newest head coach in this week’s Bears Bits.
Ben Johnson Was The Guy, and Now He’s the Bears’ Guy
When the Bears fired Matt Eberflus in November, I began working on the profiles of the potential head coaching candidates, a project that would balloon into the high teens before it wrapped last week. The first profile that I did was Ben Johnson’s because he was the clear front-runner from day one. Here’s a snippet from that profile that I felt was important:
“If the Chicago Bears ever wanted to be on the right side of history and get with the times, there is no better situation that they’ll face in a month when they have a chance to pair their franchise quarterback with one of the game’s best offensive minds and play-callers since he stepped into the role three years ago.”
That much was clear then. It’s clear now. I won’t try to predict what Ben Johnson’s head coaching career will look like today. But there’s no doubt this was his cycle; he was the top dog, and the Bears needed the top dog.
For as tone-deaf as Chairman George McCaskey can be, I think, whether through the media, fans, or trusted lieutenants in the front office, McCaskey got the hint. The fan discontent was real, and the only way to answer those sell-the-team chants that rang out at Soldier Field and he so unsurprisingly bungled the response when questioned about those after the season, was to hire the top dog, take no chance otherwise, and spare no expense doing so.
Considering the hiring of Johnson and what we know about the process through various reports, Chicago identified Johnson as their guy from the start. Even while conducting countless interviews in between, Johnson was their guy, and when the time came, they were going to strike.
When the Washington Commanders—the team we all thought Johnson was heading to last offseason—dispatched the Lions from the NFC playoffs on Saturday, it was the Bears time. They struck, with not a moment nor penny spared. If Mike Florio’s reporting is accurate, the Chicago Bears will pay Johnson $13 million per season, which makes Johnson the seventh highest-paid coach in the NFL.
Time will tell if their aggression pays off, but as it stands today, with only the pedigree and process to consider, this was the most impressive hire the franchise has ever made.
Xs and Os
We’ve got plenty of time to talk Xs and Os this offseason, and I can’t wait to peel back the curtains to what Ben Johnson’s offense could look like in Chicago. But let’s start here, with this from my profile on Johnson, which I think is an important trait that Johnson features:
“Schematically, Johnson’s offense consists of tight formations and multiple looks from the same look coupled with clear and concise direction that allowed the Lions’ offense to play fast (which is the style of offense that Caleb Williams has thrived in this season). But most importantly, Johnson’s bag of tricks features player and coach input. In Rogers’ story, Johnson details how his playbook features ideas and concepts from tight end coach Steve Heiden, who worked under Bruce Arians and Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona.
“While his offense borrows from many, it’s his—and, more specifically, the team’s. He urges his players to take ownership of that and do what they do better than anyone.”
Ben Johnson is a football nerd, well-traveled, and a sponge. Although his offense in Detroit borrowed from many, it was his own. More specifically, it was the offense he created for Jared Goff, who needed a revival in Detroit after Sean McVay pulled the plug on him in Los Angeles and shipped him to Detroit for Matthew Stafford.
Chicago won’t be running a carbon copy of the offense we saw in Detroit the past three seasons. Instead, they’ll run an offense created to maximize Caleb Williams and the rest of the offensive talent. Like it was in Detroit, it won’t be Ben Johnson’s offense but rather an offense in which the players are tasked with their input and doing what they do best.
Again, there is plenty of time to really explore what the offense could look like. Still, it’s nice to know that regardless of what we can discern from Johnson’s past offenses, this offense will be its own organism, growing and thriving from the input of his quarterback and weapons.
Coordinator Thoughts
Ben Johnson made his way to Halas Hall today, and his first task will be building his coaching staff in Chicago. With Johnson being the play-caller and architect of the offense, all eyes are on the defensive coordinator hire. Thanks to Adam Schefter, we already have an idea of who that might be.
As Schefter mentions, the Bears must do things before they can make that hire. Specifically, they must satisfy the Rooney Rule by interviewing two minority candidates in person for that job. Still, we can assume that Allen’s coming to Chicago to be Ben Johnson’s DC is pretty close to being a done deal if Schefter and other national insiders were willing to fire it off almost immediately after reporting Johnson’s hiring.
MORE: Ben Johnson is Reportedly Lining Up a “Star-Studded Coaching Staff for the Chicago Bears
Dennis Allen would be a great hire. I’m going to spend some time this week getting specific on Allen’s scheme and style, but know this: that’s a damn good defensive coordinator. From 2018-2024, Allen’s defenses in New Orleans ranked fifth in defensive EPA per play.
Also, Dennis Allen is an outstanding defensive coordinator who has been fired twice as head coach. The chances of someone trying to poach Allen to give him a third opportunity are low. I love the potential stability there.
There have also been reports that Johnson is pursuing Darren Rizzi, Dennis Allen’s special teams coordinator (and eventual interim head coach), for the special teams coordinator job in Chicago.
REPORT: Bears Reportedly Targeting Darren Rizzi as Their Special Teams Coach
Who knows who will be the offensive coordinator? But a name to watch is Hank Fraley, Johnson’s offensive line coach in Detroit. This week, Fraley also interviewed for Seattle’s offensive coordinator vacancy. Fraley would provide stability for Johnson and the Bears on the offensive line while Johnson handled the weapons and calls. Fraley is highly respected and could be a massive addition to Johnson’s staff and the Bears offensive line.
Here’s what Lions offensive lineman Frank Ragnow feels about Fraley leaving:
“You refuse to let Hank leave,” Ragnow said (via The Athletic). “I haven’t played in this league without Hank and I don’t plan on doing it. So, I’ll sabotage him, I’ll leak stories, whatever it takes. …I don’t think I could play in this league without the guy. He’s everything to me.”
If the Bears ended up with Fraley, Allen, and Rizzi as their coordinators, Johnson’s staff would be as big a home run as his hire.