Ben Johnson was one of the most highly coveted candidates during the NFL’s current coaching cycle, drawing interest from numerous teams.
After turning down a head coaching opportunity last offseason to chase a title with the Detroit Lions, Johnson has accepted the Chicago Bears’ job. Let’s break down the hire, how Johnson fits in Chicago, and how he became a top candidate.
Why Did the Bears Hire Ben Johnson?
Johnson became a key figure in the Lions’ offense in 2019 and assumed full control as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2022. He helped Detroit average an NFL-best 33.1 points per game this season while also ranking No. 1 in PFN’s Offense+ metric.
The unit’s stock soared this season, but the improvement was a steady progression, highlighting Johnson’s lasting impact rather than just a one-season surge:
- 2021 (before Johnson took over): 19.7% TD rate
- 2022: 29.5% TD rate
- 2023: 30.5% TD rate
- 2024: 37.4% TD rate
Johnson is just 38 years old, so he can help build the Bears from the ground up and stick around for the long haul.
Johnson is a strong advocate of play-action, as the Lions used it on a league-leading 37.8% of their dropbacks in 2024. Under Johnson, the Lions have established an elite rushing attack, leading the league in running back rushing yards (6,403) and ranking fourth in yards per carry by running backs (4.7) over his three seasons as offensive coordinator.
Johnson’s offense is aggressive and can make defenses pay both on the ground and through the air. Reckless playcalling can occasionally inflate offensive numbers, but that wasn’t the case under Johnson. The Lions didn’t need to put the ball in harm’s way to access their elite offensive ceiling. Their two lowest turnover rate seasons this millennium (2022 and 2024) came under Johnson, which gave them a no-risk, all-reward profile.
That would be a refreshing change for a Bears offense that experienced plenty of negative plays in 2024. Chicago did limit the turnovers (fifth-lowest at 7.7%), but at the expense of the highest sack rate in the NFL (10.7%). As a result, the Bears went three-and-out at the 10th-highest rate in 2024 (33.7%).
But the main reason Chicago hired Johnson is to develop Caleb Williams and help him realize his full potential. Lions quarterback Jared Goff had a career renaissance under Johnson, posting career-highs in completion percentage, yards per pass, and touchdowns. But when Goff landed in Detroit, he wasn’t viewed as an attractive asset in the Matthew Stafford blockbuster trade. Goff posted QB+ grades that placed him in the bottom half of the NFL during each of his three seasons before Johnson became his offensive coordinator:
- 2019: 73.7 (C) grade ranked 19th
- 2020: 72.4 (C-) grade ranked 24th
- 2021: 63.8 (D) grade ranked 26th
However, in the three seasons after Johnson became the offensive coordinator, Goff improved his QB+ grade each season and never ranked outside the top six.
- 2022: 84.0 (B) grade ranked 6th
- 2023: 84.1 (B) grade ranked 4th
- 2024: 92.5 (A-) grade ranked 2nd
Williams ranked 33rd out of 39 qualifying quarterbacks in 2024 with a 63.1 (D) grade in QB+, almost the exact same figure Goff received in 2021 before Johnson took over.
The Bears were a talented group that underperformed in 2024, and Williams left a lot to be desired in his rookie season. However, there were certainly positives, as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft had glimpses of brilliance.
Williams became the first rookie in NFL history to have three games with 300 passing yards, multiple passing touchdowns, and 30 rushing yards. He was intercepted on just 1.1% of his passes, the lowest rate for any QB who threw 500+ passes as a rookie (Justin Herbert previously held the record at 1.7%).
Unless Williams is just a bust — and it’s way too soon to say that — Johnson should be able to turn him into at least a top-half QB.
The rest of the roster is pretty talented, as well. D’Andre Swift is a capable starting running back. D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze form an excellent young receiver corps. Perhaps they will bring Keenan Allen back, and once again, they will have an abundance of weapons.
As a bonus, Johnson gets to stay in the NFC North to face teams he’s already familiar with.
This situation certainly seems more attractive than the other openings that Johnson was considering — the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders — since many of the building blocks are already in place.
His staff is already starting to take shape as well, with former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen reportedly set to be his first hire as his defensive coordinator. The fact that he is surrounding himself with experienced coaches on his staff is a great sign.
Now, all eyes will be on Johnson to see if he can transition from superstar coordinator to superstar head coach.
