Bears finalizing deal to hire Ben Johnson as next head coach

The Chicago Bears are finalizing a deal to make Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson the team's next head coach, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

A new day in Chicago: The #Bears are finalizing a deal to hire Ben Johnson as their head coach, per sources.

Johnson is set to fly there soon and contract parameters are in place. Barring a last-minute snag, the #Lions OC lands with an NFC North rival. pic.twitter.com/Y1i4lRtpw5
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 20, 2025

Johnson had long been considered the Bears' first choice to fill their head coaching vacancy, but recent rumors about Johnson's interest in the Las Vegas Raiders job pushed Chicago into the background.

Now, one day after the Lions were eliminated from the playoffs, Johnson is the head coach of the Chicago Bears.

Tasked with getting quarterback Caleb Williams to reach his immense upside, Johnson joins the Bears armed with a resume of elite offensive production. He guided the Lions to the NFL's highest-scoring team in 2024 and led Jared Goff on a career resurgence.

We'll have more on this developing story.

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