Chicago Bears + Ben Johnson + Caleb Williams = trick play heaven at Soldier Field

Football nerds know that “NFL” stands for two things
- National Football League
- No fun league
Option #2 generally refers to excessive celebrations and colorful shoes. But with some teams, it’s also about their style of play.
There are a goodly number of franchises whose offensive playbooks are utterly vanilla, consisting of interior handoffs, and skinny posts, and the periodic play action. We’re not naming names. But they know who they are.
That, however, wasn't the case in the Motor City in 2024, where fun abounded. Under the diabolical offensive mind of Ben Johnson, the eminently entertaining iteration of the Detroit Lions was one of the exceptions that proved the rule.
Ben’s Outta There?
It’s been reported that Johnson is ready to move away from Michigan and consider relocating to Illinois, Florida, or Nevada.
Ben Johnson will officially be leaving the Lions to become a head coach, per @AdamSchefter.
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) January 19, 2025
Johnson will schedule final interviews with the Bears, Jaguars and Raiders before making a decision later this week.
Detroit averaged 33.1 points this season to lead the NFL. @PFN365 pic.twitter.com/wnE6dOcJZC
Granted, Johnson himself hasn’t gone on record with his intentions, but considering the Lions’ season came to an end at the hands of the Washington Commanders in the NFC divisional round, he’s free to take whatever job he’s offered...so things might happen quickly.
Screen the Call
If any quarterback in this league could use an imaginative play caller, it’s Bears field general Caleb Williams.
Last season, the former Heisman Trophy winner was saddled with the astoundingly uncreative Shane Waldron and the overmatched Thomas Brown, a couple of OC’s whose playbooks were utterly vanilla, consisting of interior handoffs, and skinny posts, and the periodic play action.
And, in the case of Brown, screen passes.
Live look at Thomas Brown and the #Bears calling screen passes for Caleb Williams on every single play. pic.twitter.com/N6gawx7PE3
— Mark 🇮🇱 (@emef1589) January 5, 2025
The Ben Johnson Trick Play Megamix
Among the reasons Johnson is such a hot commodity is that aforementioned diabolical mind of his, a mind that houses the kind of always-firing neurons that come up with trick play, after trick play, after trick play:
Ben Johnson is the NFL’s biggest sicko
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) December 28, 2024
The only coordinator in the league that has a trick play ready every Sunday 😂 pic.twitter.com/drFKaYsEPb
NO WAY 😂
— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) December 22, 2024
Ben Johnson just had his guys fake stumble to run TE Leak pic.twitter.com/06P5kcezEa
HOOK & LADDER TD
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 31, 2024
BEN JOHNSON IS A MADMAN.pic.twitter.com/AAEkAFma00
Trick play of the year Ben Johnson lions. Toss then a shovel! @DaleCarlson63 @CoachCiocci @freakaleak1209 @Coach_Radcliff @sdfbca @WRCoachVannucci pic.twitter.com/sZif8sIdMg
— coachkou (@coachkou) January 19, 2025
Ben Johnson, you’re crazy man. pic.twitter.com/BwDeaY7F0C
— Ben Raven (@BenjaminSRaven) October 13, 2024
Admittedly, nutty play calling has a time and a place—and this mess near the end of the Lions’ loss to the Commanders wasn’t one of ’em.
Ben Johnson, live by the trick play, die by the trick play
— LandonTengwall (@landon_tengwall) January 19, 2025
pic.twitter.com/SipVZSUTFr