4 reasons Chicago Bears fans should be excited about Ben Johnson's coaching staff

If offseason weekends are supposed to be relaxing, no one told Ben Johnson. From late Friday evening through Sunday night, the Bears announced several coaching hires to Ben Johnson's staff, including a surprising move at offensive coordinator.

With his main coordinators set in place, including special teams coordinator Richard Hightower who seems to have saved his job, Bears fans have a clearer picture now of what to expect in 2025, and they have plenty of reasons to be excited. Here are four in particular.

1. Ben Johnson recognized his lack of experience.

The biggest knock against Ben Johnson as a head coaching candidate was that he's never been a head coach before. The only thing he could do to help ease that concern was to hire a coach who has the experience to guide him, and that's exactly what he did.

Dennis Allen may not have succeeded as a head coach, but six years of experience from doing the job for two different teams is nothing to shake a stick at. Allen will be an important sounding board for Johnson to bounce ideas off of, and also to approach for advice when Johnson finds himself in uncharted waters.

2. The defense should improve from its post-Eberflus slump

Matt Eberflus may have failed as a head coach, but there's little doubting his ability at coaching a defense and that was laid bare when, immediately after his firing, the Bears gave up 30 or more points in three straight games.

Allen is similar in this regard. He did not succeed as a head coach, but his defensive coordinator credentials are bona fide. He runs a good unit on that side of the ball and does it from a 4-3 base, just like Eberflus. That makes for an easier transition for the players than if they were to move to a 3-4 base.

3. Johnson brought in fan-favorites and culture setters

Multiple fanbases have been seen on social media reviling Ben Johnson for poaching their team's favorite position coach. From the Cowboys' defensive backs coach Al Harris to Detroit's Antwaan Randle El, Johnson appears to have this thumb on the pulse of good NFL coaches.

These are the men who will be most responsible for setting the culture in the locker room. While Johnson himself and his coordinators will play a role there, it's going to fall to these position coaches in particular to set the example and hold players accountable, and Bears fans should feel comfortable that these new coaches will do exactly that.

4. Johnson may have found a young diamond in the rough

Declan Doyle raised eyebrows when the Bears announced him as their new offensive coordinator, but it's not the first time a 28-year-old tight ends coach with limited experience was hired on as offensive coordinator for a new team.

To be clear, no one should be comparing Doyle to Super Bowl LVI champion Sean McVay. But every great coach has to start as a nobody at some point. That's what McVay was when the then-Washington Redskins gave him a shot, and maybe that's what Doyle can become.

After all, there has to be something about the man that made future Hall of Fame coach Sean Payton bring Doyle with him from New Orleans to Denver.

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