Chicago Bears' Ben Johnson Signs $65 Million Contract: Seventh-Highest NFL Deal

The Chicago Bears made a statement to the NFL signing Ben Johnson, the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, as their coach. The move from Johnson was speculated to have simply come down to the Bears having former USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams on the roster, but as in any other profession, money talks. In a report from ESPN’s Chicago Bears reporter Courtney Cronin, Johnson’s contract is reported at five years, $65 million, $13 million per season.

The deal makes Johnson the seventh-highest-paid head coach in the league and places him above other coaches such as John Harbaugh, Dan Campbell, Kevin O’Connell, Sean McDermott, Nick Sirriani, and others.

It’s highly unusual for a first-time NFL head coach to receive that type of lucrative contract, let alone a first-time head coach in general. It speaks to how highly the Bears believe in Johnson’s potential and ability to develop talent.

Tequila shots, a shocking loss and a big-time, franchise-defining contract: An inside look at the Chicago Bears’ process of landing Ben Johnson. https://t.co/rUTfKrWSFz
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) February 3, 2025

"Listen, it's no secret that I was being portrayed as an offensive guru…..Whether I was quality control, position coach, tight end coach, receivers coach, coordinator, I'm whatever the job requires me to be.” Ben Johnson said when during his initial press conference in Chicago. "And so that's where I really wanted to let those people know on every call that I had, that there was more substance than maybe I articulated in any media session or what you might see on the sideline."

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Both Johnson’s ability as a play-caller and leader will be tested as he journeys into his first season as a head coach. Arguably the sole reason Johnson was brought to Chicago was the belief that he could maximize the talent of former first-overall draft pick Caleb Williams. The relationship between the quarterback and playcaller is of the utmost importance in any situation, but especially a young quarterback on his fourth offensive coordinator in eight months.

Can Johnson hire a competent staff, establish an undeniable culture, develop Williams properly, manage the team situationally, and call the plays at a high level? It’s a tall task, but as the saying goes, that’s why they pay you the big bucks. It won’t be an easy job, but there’s one thing that’s for certain, Johnson is diving head-first into the action. With hires like Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy as running backs coach, and Antwaan Randle El as wide receiver coach, Johnson is surrounding himself with established veterans.

Top 10 highest-paid NFL coaches by annual salary:

1. Andy Reid - $20M
2. Sean Payton - $18M
3. Mike Tomlin - $16M
3. Jim Harbaugh - $16M
5. Sean McVay - $15M
6. Kyle Shanahan - $14M
7. Ben Johnson - $13M
8. John Hargbaugh - $12M
9. Dan Campbell - $11M
10. Sean McDermott - $11M
— Dave (@dave_bfr) February 3, 2025

If nothing else, Johnson knows it takes a village, and he’s doing his best to build the strongest support system possible. The good news for Johnson? The Chicago Bears brass appears to be all in on giving him every resource possible to do so.

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