Instant Reactions: Bears get Ben Johnson

He’s here and he’s perfect. The Chicago Bears are hiring Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as the 19th head coach in the charter franchise’s history.

Johnson was the league’s most sought-after offensive-minded candidate in league circles heading into the offseason. The 38-year-old rising star was a finalist for head coaching roles in each of the last two offseasons but turned down those opportunities to return to Detroit.

Now, Johnson is moving on, but he’s staying in the NFC North.

Despite interest from the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars, Johnson opted to be responsible for Caleb Williams’ future. That means pairing Johnson with Ryan Poles, who figures to earn himself a contract extension to align the franchise’s future.

Johnson will be tasked with taking over a team that has won 15 games over the last three seasons and shifting an identity built on failure into one of prosperity. Two years ago, Chicago’s biggest offseason addition was DJ Moore. This past year, it was Caleb Williams. The hyper-focus on offensive personnel wasn’t enough.

Will Ben Johnson’s presence be what greases the squeaky wheel?

Adam Hoge

Time will tell if Ben Johnson lives up to being the head coaching prospect he appears to be. But regardless of that unknown result, the Bears’ process in landing a candidate who has turned down other opportunities in the last two coaching cycles cannot be criticized.

After the Lions’ stunning loss to the Commanders on Saturday, the Bears moved quickly to secure Rooney Rule compliance and make an offer to Ben Johnson that he couldn’t turn down. His defensive coordinator hire will be crucial, but Dennis Allen — the reported favorite to land the job — would be a strong choice to keep the Bears’ momentum going on that side of the ball.

But this is ultimately about pairing a strong offensive coach with a quarterback, Caleb Williams. The Bears landed the No. 1 quarterback prospect last year. Now, they landed the No. 1 coaching prospect this year.

Mark Carman

The Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson.

If I am being honest, I did not think I would be typing those words. Give Ryan Poles, Kevin Warren, and George McCaskey credit for moving aggressively and opening the Bears’ wallet to lure in the hottest coaching candidate on the market.

With how bad last year went, the Bears needed a major shift to re-energize their fan base and, more importantly, put someone in charge who can help them get back to winning games. Johnson’s offense was number one in the NFL in points scored. The year before he showed up in Detroit the Lions were 23rd with the same Jared Goff at quarterback.

The Bears were 28th last year. Johnson came to Chicago because he believes in Caleb Williams. How high is up for the Bears offense with this combo? The Bears made a major bet that Johnson will lead it to the top of the NFL, and the Bears will be winning a lot of games, playoff games, and Super Bowl games because of their new quarterback-head coach pairing.

Patrick Norton

That certainly spices up the offseason.

The best part of today for the Bears? They don’t have to gameplan against a Ben Johnson offense anymore. Johnson’s spent the last few years coaching Jared Goff, a former No. 1 overall draft pick. Now, Johnson will be paired with Caleb Williams with the expectation of finding the same level (if not higher) of explosivity for an offense that hasn’t seen a game-changing playmaker since Walter Payton retired.

Despite the offseason starting on shaky terms following Ryan Poles’ presser, this is the most positive step in the right direction imaginable.