Reports: Bears to hire Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as head coach
The Chicago Bears are expected to hire Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their head coach, according to multiple reports on Monday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news.
Johnson, 38, is reportedly on his way to Chicago to meet with the Bears at Halas Hall and finalize a new contract.
Johnson will become the 19th head coach in franchise history and will replace former head coach Matt Eberflus, who the franchise fired in November. Johnson officially became available on Monday after the Lions lost in the divisional round of the playoffs over the weekend.
Johnson comes to Chicago after three seasons as the offensive coordinator in Detroit. He oversaw a Lions offense that was among the best in football over the previous two seasons.
This move puts an end to the Bears' two-week search for their next head coach. General manager Ryan Poles interviewed at least 17 candidates since Jan. 7.
Of the top coordinators across the league, Johnson was widely considered the best offensive innovator available. His Lions offense ranked first in scoring in 2024, plus second in total yards and second in passing yards. Johnson helped engineer a major turnaround for quarterback Jared Goff.
A year before Johnson took over the offense, the 2021 Lions won only three games. In Johnson’s three years running the offense, the Lions improved each year, culminating in this year’s historic 15-2 season.
The Bears interviewed several candidates with previous head coaching experience, including Pete Carroll, Mike McCarthy, Ron Rivera and Brian Flores. In the end, Poles decided to pair his young quarterback, No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams, with a top offensive mind.
Johnson spent the past year formulating a plan for how a franchise would operate with him as a head coach. He was reportedly a finalist for the Washington Commanders head coach position a year ago before pulling his name out of the running.
“I’ve also changed my frame of mind a little bit, and instead of worrying solely about the offense and what we’re doing right here, I’ve been able to have off-seasons and summers to think about big-picture view what a program would look like where I’m running it,” Johnson said earlier this week ahead of the divisional round playoff game. “So I think that way I’m a lot more prepared for the questions that come my way and I’m much more comfortable answering it.”
It’s always a leap of faith when a franchise hires someone who has never been a head coach before. But Johnson had a ton of autonomy to run the offense how he saw fit in Detroit. Unlike when the Bears hired Matt Nagy in 2018, Johnson didn’t have an offensive-minded head coach like Andy Reid overseeing things.
The Bears finished the 2024 season with a 5-13 record. In Chicago, the offense has been a major issue for decades, and the 2024 season was no different. The Bears ranked dead last in total yards and 31st among 32 teams in passing yards.
Williams had a decent rookie season — finishing with 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions — despite the team’s struggles. Williams was the lone bright spot for the offense.
Johnson has plenty of work to do fixing this group. The offensive line was a huge disappointment. And while Williams had some good moments, the passing attack was highly inconsistent.
As for the defense, ESPN reported Monday that former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen is expected to join Johnson in Chicago as the defensive coordinator. The Saints fired Allen on Nov. 4 after two and a half seasons in charge.
Allen was the Saints defensive coordinator for seven seasons under former coach Sean Payton before Payton exited New Orleans in 2022. Allen was also a head coach for the Raiders from 2012-14.
Allen has typically coached a 4-3 defensive scheme, which is the same base defense that the Bears ran under Eberflus. So this group is already built to run a 4-3.