Last Saturday, the Lions were home to face the Commanders in the divisional round. Detroit, the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs, had a bye in the first round. Washington was coming off a 23-20 win vs. the Buccaneers. The Commanders used that momentum to stun the Lions 45-31 and ended their impressive 15-2 season.
With the Lions’ season finally ending, changes are expected—not for the roster but for the coaching staff. Detroit has two of the top coordinators in the NFL: Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. Both are top candidates for head coaching jobs. On Monday, NFL insiders announced that Johnson has accepted the Bears’ head coaching vacancy. How will 38-year-old Ben Johnson handle the pressure of being a first-time head coach?
Ben Johnson is the next head coach of the Chicago Bears
Bears are finalizing a deal to hire Ben Johnson as their head coach. (via @tompelissero) pic.twitter.com/3gsGxegg5i
— NFL (@NFL) January 20, 2025
During the 2024 regular season, the Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus. Thomas Brown was named the interim for the remainder of the year. Once the season was over, Chicago acted quickly to find their next head coach. The Bears had an extensive search for a head coach but ultimately had one person in mind. Former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was the hottest commodity on the market this offseason. His resume speaks for itself. Johnson helped change the outlook of the Lions, making them one of the top offenses of the last few seasons. According to reports, Johnson was hired by the Bears without a formal in-person interview. That speaks to how badly the Bears wanted him.
Ben Johnson could have taken a job last offseason, but he wanted to wait for the right opportunity. With QB Caleb Williams in Chicago, the Bears were an easy choice for Johnson. The 38-year-old has been coaching in the NFL since 2012 when he was with the Dolphins. In 2019 Johnson was hired by the Lions and he became offensive coordinator in 2022. Over three seasons, Johnson helped re-shape Detroit’s offense to become a consistent unit. Now, Johnson has the challenge of starting over and taking on a brand new challenge. Not only is Johnson responsible for helping the offense, but he has to think about the entire team. Something he didn’t have to do in the past. We’ll see how he handles his first season with the Bears in 2025.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
