CHGO Digest: Ben Johnson, Chicago Bear.

Ladies and gentlemen, we got him!

After Ben Johnson concluded his introductory press conference, Mark Carman and I looked at each other and said, “If it doesn’t work out with him, it won’t work with anybody.”

That was the buzz around Halas Hall on Wednesday. Despite the shortcomings that had left Bears fans agitated with the organization throughout Matt Eberflus’ reign, Johnson had all the right answers to ease everybody’s worries.

Sure, this isn’t the first time Chicago has made a splash move that seemingly set the franchise up for success in the near future. Last offseason, drafting Caleb Williams, No. 1 overall, and Rome Odunze, No. 9 overall, felt like the Bears were suddenly on a positive, competitive trajectory.

The year before that, Ryan Poles’ massive deal with the Carolina Panthers to acquire DJ Moore (plus the picks that would later be used to bring in Williams, Darnell Wright, and Tyrique Stevenson) was another offseason win.

However, the reality is that the Bears have won 15 games in 51 tries since Poles was hired, and while luring Johnson from Detroit is an enormous win, it needs to translate to on-field success, too.

I wrote on Tuesday that the hiring was incredibly bold for Ryan Poles, but still a gamble. I took a little heat for calling it those things, but it doesn’t make it any less true: Getting the guy of the offseason and sparing no expense to get it done is bold. Hiring a first-time head coach after only conducting a Zoom interview when your future in football depends on the success of this decision is a gamble.

Those are good things.

The league’s charter franchise has typically strayed from these moves in the past, and it hasn’t worked. Shaking up the status quo, or getting “comfortable being uncomfortable,” as Johnson put it, is necessary to build a winner in the NFL.

Wednesday was a win for the Bears. Johnson took a jab at the Packers, but he also set the tone immediately and jumpstarted the implementation of his desired culture. How? Here’s everything you need to know from Ben Johnson’s introductory press conference at Halas Hall:

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— Patrick Norton

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The best moments from Ben Johnson’s big day

Who knew Ben Johnson was a big Cubs fan? The new head coach said that he has taken his family to Wrigley Field for a series each summer for the last ten years.

Johnson mentioned on ESPN 1000’s Carmen & Jurko that he grew up watching Cubs games after school in North Carolina on WGN.

His infatuation with the city of Chicago stems from his love of the Cubs, and it grew when his brother finally received the call that he’d reached the top of the season ticket waitlist.

Johnson mentioned that he always sits in the bleachers to be amongst the fans, so that leaves me with one question:

Friday 1:20 Club this summer, Ben?

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After Johnson’s presser, Bears CEO Kevin Warren shared a great story about a recent interaction with a Bears fan: While out to dinner the other night, Warren received a drink from a fan accompanied by a note on a napkin that read, “Please, Hire Ben Johnson.”

Warren said he kept the napkin and would give it to Johnson, hoping that, “If we do what we’re supposed to do, one day that note will be framed on (a) wall, someone’s wall.”

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Remember the pranksters who duped Caleb Williams into believing the Bears had hired Ben Johnson and even FaceTimed the quarterback to get his reaction?

Now that Johnson’s in the building in Lake Forest, Williams was all laughs about the situation on Wednesday:

“So [chuckles]. First of all, I thought it was great p.r., the prank call.”

Then, the hiring was real. “He actually FaceTimed me, but I was driving, but he FaceTimed me and sent me a picture of his face because he also heard of the prank call. Like I said, I think the prank call was great p.r. I don’t feel [any] ill-will towards anything with that.”

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Trivia!

While a backup quarterback at the University of North Carolina, Ben Johnson was inspired to get into coaching by his offensive coordinator, John Shoop. Shoop was Dick Jauron’s OC in Chicago from 2001-2003.

How many offensive coordinators (including interim) have the Bears had since Shoop?

BONUS: Can you name them?

Tweet me @patdnorton with your answer!

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