Bear Digest

Ben Johnson's impact in Chicago greater for some than for others

Analysis: One top 10 list of offseason moves doesn't take the no-brainer and simply put the move of the former Lions offensive coordinator to Chicago as No. 1.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ben Johnson leaving for the Bears has to rank the biggest move of the NFL offseason, doesn't it?
Ben Johnson leaving for the Bears has to rank the biggest move of the NFL offseason, doesn't it? | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

Ben Johnson's move to the Bears has been widely hailed as possibly the biggest made in this NFL offseason.

The impact is twofold, because it removes a major factor for success from Detroit while bringing it to a team with an offense starved for success.

At least this was apparent to most, with the exception of CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan. He not only missed the mark at the biggest offseason move made by naming a different one, but also halved his chance at a bit of redemption by weakly putting Johnson in the second position.

In his eyes, the biggest move of this offseason was a non-move. It was the Rams giving a contract extension to Matthew Stafford. Stafford was obviously using his situation as a contract ploy to get desired money while extending his career.

This can't even rank. The Rams never were seriously letting him leave.

It was a non-move.

The problem with putting Johnson second on this top-10 list is Sullivan didn't even give the Bears coach his full just due. He called it a double move with No. 2 being Johnson and Aaron Glenn both leaving the Lions.

This is soft on a few levels.

Johnson brought dramatic change in results to the Detroit offense and improved them every year as coordinator.

The Detroit defense, however, never attained the league-wide position under Glenn that the offense did under Johnson. They were holding back the Lions offense in 2022 when the defense was last.

They never ranked better than 19th in the league under Glenn, who admittedly was phenomenal when he had to glue them together with everyone injured in 2024.

Still, the numbers don't say the Lions ever had the highest quality defense and replacing Glenn with Kelvin Sheppard isn't a huge step back in Detroit because this was a former assistant of Glenn's who can simply carry on what he did except with a full cast.

On the other hand, the Lions have replaced Johnson with John Morton, a one-time Lions assistant but one who has experience as a coordinator. His 2017 Jets offense was last in the NFL. He's also taking over an offense without its greatest weapon. It's a new offensive line with three positions changed.

Separating the two moves makes more sense because Johnson's departure impacts the offense of Detroit on a higher level, and has the chance to immediately impact the Bear' offense on a huge level due to the explosive players they've already put in place and the presence of an offensive line potentially one of the best in the NFL. Pro Football Focus graded them fourth best.

This list is weak in another sense.

The Joe Thuney trade wasn't even listed top 10. Thuney coming to the Bears in a trade for a fourth-round pick greatly diminishes Kansas City's offensive line while providing Williams with one of the league's strongest pass blockrs at the position. He's been the best pass blocker in the NFL at this at his position for four straight years if not more.

Washington acquiring tackle Laremy Tunsil in a trade with Houston was given fourth-biggest move, but Thuney to Chicago doesn't rate top 10?

Tunsil has missed 23 games in nine seasons. Tunsil has never been an All-Pro. Thuney has missed two games and was All-Pro twice. Thuney helped his team win six conference championship games and four Lombardi trophies.

Tunsil has been in seven postseason games with three wins, no conference championship game appearances and wasn't among the top five AP vote getters for best NFL tackle heading into this season.

The AFC champions losing Thuney's presence is huge. To top it off, Washington did quite well without Tunsil last year. How much better would he make them?

Lists of these types often are made with too much overthinking. This one sure was.

Both Bears moves should rate top 10 with Johnson No. 1 by himself.

More Chicago Bears News

X: BearsOnSI

Published | Modified
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.