Ben Johnson's contract with Chicago Bears expected to crush usual first-time coach salary

The Chicago Bears landed Ben Johnson to be their next head coach, and it'll cost them a small fortune.

Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Chicago Bears knew they would have to pay up to secure Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be their next head coach, and early reports of Johnson's contract with the team prove the organization was willing to do it.

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, the initial contract figures for Johnson are rumored to exceed $13 million per season.

Florio conditioned these figures as speculation, but with Johnson having his choice of no less than three teams to coach, there's no doubt his contract will be a record-setter.

The average first-year head coach earns roughly $8 million per season, pushing Johnson's expected yearly number into rarified air.

Jim Harbaugh, who was last offseason's top coaching free agent, earns $16 million per season from the Los Angeles Chargers. Unlike Johnson, Harbaugh had previous (and successful) NFL coaching experience.

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

To put into perspective just how crazy $13 million per season would be for a first-time head coach, it falls just $2 million per season behind Sean McVay, the wildly successful coach of the Los Angeles Rams, who has a Super Bowl victory on his resume.

Chicago Bears fans certainly hope Ben Johnson will build a resume similar to the coaches he's getting paid like, and if his time with the Lions is any indication, he's a good bet to accomplish that goal.

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