The Chicago Bears are hiring Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their head coach, league sources said Monday.
Chicago is turning to Johnson, one of the league’s fastest-rising offensive coaches, in hopes that pairing him with quarterback Caleb Williams could return the team to contention in the competitive NFC North. The Bears fired Matt Eberflus 12 games into this season and finished the year 5-12 — their sixth consecutive season at .500 or worse.
Johnson and the Lions’ season ended Saturday when the team lost to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round.
Johnson, 38, joined Detroit’s system under Matt Patricia as an offensive quality control coach in 2019. He later served as a tight ends coach before being promoted to passing game coordinator upon Dan Campbell’s arrival. Johnson was promoted to offensive coordinator the following year following Anthony Lynn’s dismissal.
After Dan Campbell’s inaugural 3-13-1 season, Johnson’s promotion led to an offensive explosion in Detroit. Over the last three seasons, Detroit led the NFL in points scored (1,478) and finished in the top five in offensive DVOA in 2023 and 2024. Three of the four highest-scoring seasons in Detroit’s 95-year history came under Johnson, including a franchise-record-setting 564-point season in 2024. Detroit put up 30 points in 10 different games this season, scoring 40 on six different occasions and 50 twice. The Lions’ 222-point differential in 2024 also broke a franchise record that stood since 1934.
The offensive uptick propelled the Lions into one of the NFL’s best teams. Detroit’s 36 regular-season wins are the fourth-most in the NFL over the last three seasons. In 2023, the Lions won the NFC North for the first time since 1993. They also secured a playoff win and reached the NFC Championship Game, milestones not achieved in Detroit since 1991.
Johnson received interest for head-coaching opportunities in the past, interviewing with the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders for openings last year. However, Johnson turned down those opportunities to remain with Detroit — until now.
This story will be updated. More to come.
(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
