The Chicago Bears will sign the Detroit Lions‘ Ben Johnson as the new head coach, as the offensive coordinator seems set to depart Ford Field to their NFC North rivals after three years in the role.
The Lions scored 564 points across the regular season and added an additional 31 against the Washington Commanders in the NFL Playoffs, although they were ultimately defeated and dumped out.
And Johnson has been a huge part of their resurgence from 2023-2025, making him an attractive prospect for the 5-12 Bears who have a highly talented quarterback at the helm in the form of Caleb Williams.
Now according to ESPN, they’ve made the decision to sign the 38-year-old who has been in the NFL since 2012 and thus his efforts in Motown are rewarded with his first career head coaching role.
Johnson’s ace Lions offense
Johnson joined the Lions in 2019 as their offensive quality control coach, before becoming the tight ends coach for 2020 and 2021. He was then promoted to passing game coordinator, and finally offensive coordinator.
Upon receiving full control of the offense, the Lions quickly became a scoring force. Under his first season, they recorded 461 points (27.1 per game) and won the NFC North with a 12-5 record.
They went on to reach the NFC Championship game, but were ultimately beaten by the San Francisco 49ers, who eventually lost to the Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Veg
Then in the 2024/25 NFL season, the team managed to step it up another gear. Dan Campbell’s offensive scored 564 points and a league-leading 33.1 per game as they lead the entire NFC for the first time in history.
Unfortunately, they were beaten 45-31 by the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs on January 19. Now Campbell is tasked with finding Johnson’s successor in Detroit.