Ben Johnson is Bears head coach: Chicago steals Lions OC

On January 21, 2025By Littum

The architect of the NFL’s best offense will call plays for someone else next fall.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is finalizing a deal to become the Chicago Bears’ next head coach, the Free Press has learned.

The Lions were eliminated from the playoffs Saturday by the Washington Commanders. Johnson became available for hire after the loss.

Johnson had virtual interviews with four teams during the Lions’ first-round playoff bye, the Raiders, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots.

The Patriots hired Mike Vrabel, a member of their team’s Hall-of-Fame as a player, earlier this month, while the Raiders, Jaguars, Jets, Saints and Cowboys jobs remain open.

Johnson was considered the top coaching candidate on the market last winter, but turned down second interviews with two teams to stay in Detroit and pursue a Super Bowl. He said in December that he still hoped to become a head coach one day and switched agents after last season to help in his search for a job.

“I think there’s a burning desire in every man to find what he’s made of and push the boundaries and see if he’s got what it takes,” Johnson said in December. “And so yes, there is a fire there. Now, when the time comes, I don’t know when it will be, but there is definitely a fire there.”

Johnson interviewed with five teams and turned down the chance to speak with a sixth team last winter and was widely considered the favorite to win the Washington Commanders job when he informed the team he was withdrawing his name from consideration after the Lions’ NFC- championship loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Johnson also interviewed with the Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Chargers and Atlanta Falcons last winter and declined an interview request with the Tennessee Titans due to his schedule.

In 2022, he declined an in-person interview with the Panthers as he was considered the favorite for that job.

Originally hired as an offensive quality control assistant under Matt Patricia in 2019, Johnson has had a meteoric rise with the Lions and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished offensive heads in football.

Dan Campbell retained Johnson as tight ends coach on his first Lions staff in 2021 and promoted Johnson to pass game coordinator midway through that season after stripping then-offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn of his play-calling duties.

Johnson took over as coordinator in 2022, and the Lions have averaged a league-leading 29 points per game. game in the past three seasons.

This year, the Lions finished in the top six in passing, rushing, scoring and total offense and finished with a franchise-best 15-2 record. They led the league in touchdowns and scored 40 or more points six times as Johnson got a powerful rushing attack into action with creative use of personnel. Known for calling trick plays at any time in any situation, this year he ran a hook-and-lateral to right tackle Penei Sewell and designed a play that encouraged Sewell to throw the ball.

“I’ve been a lot more prepared for the types of questions they’ve asked (in this hiring cycle),” Johnson said before the Commanders game. “I’ve also changed my attitude a little bit and instead of just worrying about the offense and what we’re doing right here, I’ve been able to have offseasons and summers to think about, big pictures, what a program would look like where I drive it. And so I think that way I’m much more prepared for the questions that come my way and I’m much more comfortable answering them.”

It’s unclear whether the Lions will stay in-house or look outside the organization to replace Johnson, but how far they advance in the playoffs could limit the pool of outside candidates.

Offensive line coach Hank Fraley could join Johnson in Chicago as coordinator, though Johnson plans to continue calling plays, passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand has previous college and XFL coordinator experience, and receivers coach Antwaan Randle El interviewed for the offensive coordinator job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is also a top coaching candidate in this hiring cycle. Glenn interviewed with five teams during the Lions’ bye and is considered one of the favorites for openings with the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets.

Dave Birkett is the author of the new book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline.” Order your copy here. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.