Ben Johnson is the NFL's most in-demand HC candidate. One team is his best fit
2025-01-07
Category: sports

Black Monday is a day that many staffers across the NFL dread every year. The day in which we get most of the news regarding which coaches have been let go from their respective teams. It's a day that we shouldn't forget is an incredibly human day. It's not just head coaches who are let go, but entire staffs. It means a complete upending for families across the league. I like to remember those sorts of things before just talking about the head coach hiring cycle. You're not just trying to make numbers work, you're also talking about lives and livelihoods. That being said, there are multiple organizations which are now in need of a head coach and can start the process of interviewing coaching candidates (some are already underway).&nbsp; One of those teams is the Chicago Bears, who halted their 10-game losing streak and 11-game losing streak to the Packers all in the final week of the season on Sunday. In rookie quarterback Caleb Williams' first trip to Lambeau Field, he pulled off a feat that had become so elusive for the franchise. Of course, not single-handedly. An end-of-game field goal situation was handled adequately and credit there goes to interim head coach Thomas Brown, who secured his first win while in charge of the Bears. General manager Ryan Poles stated that Brown will get a full, formal interview for the permanent position as the Bears embark on finding their 19th head coach.&nbsp; However, another name that has been at the top of most Bears fans' wish lists is someone whose team isn't quite done playing football yet: Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Because Detroit secured the top seed along with the NFC North in a Week 18 thriller over the Minnesota Vikings, Johnson will have some extra time on his hands with the first-round bye. Teams will be able to interview him (along with defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) virtually starting Wednesday and must complete those interviews by January 13, according to the NFL's new hiring cycle rules. The Bears have reportedly already expressed interest in interviewing Johnson, and why wouldn't they? Johnson led the league's top-scoring offense, with Detroit averaging nearly 33 points per game in the regular season.&nbsp; Johnson's offenses have become the gold standard over the past two seasons. He's diabolical in his playcalling and draws up new wrinkles weekly. His players also just seem to be having fun playing for him. He asks them to do some wild stuff, like asking right tackle Penei Sewell to throw a pass, or catch a pass, or run a fake reverse, or lead block, or play left tackle. The schemes Johnson dreamed up for "Sonic and Knuckles" a.k.a. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, resulted in both players surpassing 1,000 scrimmage yards, even with Monty getting hurt down the stretch. Gibbs went off for four touchdowns in the season finale. Johnson draws inspiration from everywhere, including broken plays that ended up working. In the Bears' last game against them, Johnson called a fake fumble play where Goff purposely stumbled, Gibbs hit the deck and players yelled out "fumble" while tight end Sam LaPorta leaked out and caught a wide-open touchdown.  Johnson got it from Chicago's 2023 game against the Packers in which quarterback Jordan Love actually fumbled the football, but it froze the linebackers long enough that Packers tight end Luke Musgrave was able to get wide open and Love delivered the score anyway.&nbsp; Things like that are why Johnson will be the hottest head coaching candidate in this cycle, should he even choose to leave (which is still an if). Chicago would be foolish not to go after him. Not only does it make sense for the Bears, but Chicago are Johnson's best option, too. Johnson would take over the development of Williams, the team's 2024 first-overall pick. Williams, while taking the most sacks of any quarterback in the league, still managed an impressive season statistically. His 3,451 passing yards are the fifth-most of any Bears quarterback ever. His 20 touchdowns this season are the most since Mitch Trubisky had 24 in 2018 and the 12th most of any quarterback in franchise history. Williams threw just six interceptions. More than just in Bears history, Williams' numbers stack up among rookie quarterback annals league-wide. During the broadcast, a stat chart flashed on the screen that showed Williams' ranking first in touchdown touchdown-to-interception ratio among 28 quarterbacks drafted first overall since 1967. His completion percentage of 62.5% ranks fourth.&nbsp;  A kid like that? Johnson can work with that. He's already gotten the best out of quarterback Jared Goff, who was sent to Detroit as a consolation in the Rams' trade for Matthew Stafford. Goff was all but given up on and yet, Goff ranked second in completion rate this season. His 4,629 passing yards did, too. His 0.25 EPA/dropback also ranked, you guessed it, second in the league, per Next Gen Stats. Goff wasn't just facilitating the Lions' high-powered offense, he was directing it. A lot of that has to do with the scheme Johnson has dreamed up and the tools he's equipped Goff with. Goff has just been a more confident, efficient quarterback under Johnson. He reads defenses better, and fares better under pressure. It was enough to sign him to an extension this past offseason that will pay him up to $212 million. In terms of average contract value, Goff is the sixth-highest-paid quarterback. Imagine if Johnson did that for Williams by his second contract.&nbsp; Williams alone should entice Johnson, but the Bears are no longer the only team with a promising young quarterback under center. The New England Patriots made the surprise decision to fire Jerod Mayo after just one season on Sunday — not even waiting until Black Monday to do it. The Patriots are also projected to have the most cap space in the league for 2025, at just over $130 million, according to Spotrac. In his last game as head coach, Mayo coached the Patriots out of the first overall pick with the win, though New England will still be picking in the top five. But you could argue that their roster needs more than the Bears' does. Plus, Chicago is projected to have over $80 million in cap space this offseason themselves, which ranks sixth. They'll also have eight draft picks, including four in the top 100.&nbsp; The Bears have also locked in guys like wide receiver D.J. Moore and tight end Cole Kmet to long-term deals. Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze is under team control until 2028, along with Williams. There will need to be work done along the offensive line. Knowing what we do about Johnson's time in Detroit, there will need to be running back reinforcements, too. But it's a good group to work with.  Defensively, the Bears have some needs upfront but if everyone is healthy, the linebacker room and secondary are comparable to what Detroit has had. If you contrast that with what the Patriots need (offensive line, receivers, running backs, edge rushers, linebackers, defensive backs), I think Chicago seems like the path of least resistance.&nbsp; Johnson is already familiar with the division, too. That matters for someone who spends so much time playing chess with his opponents. Johnson throws out impossible looks and trick plays every game. He picks things about his opponent to exploit and does it better than almost anyone. With minimal shakeups around the division, Johnson would already have all that built-in knowledge.&nbsp; Johnson makes sense for the Bears, but more than that, the Bears make sense for Johnson. The only question now is if Chicago's brass is willing to pony up for the hottest head coaching candidate on the market — and wait to do so. Johnson won't come cheap and the Bears aren't known for their generosity. They also have a unique hierarchy within the organization. Johnson would not only report to Poles but team president Kevin Warren, as well, in addition to ownership.&nbsp; But from an on-field perspective, of the available jobs, Johnson and the Bears seem to be the best match. Carmen Vitali is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.&nbsp;