For the Chicago Bears, the most important weapon in Ben Johnson’s arsenal is hope

How did you feel when the Chicago Bears announced the hiring of Matt Eberflus? Or Matt Nagy? Or John Fox? Or Marc Trestman?

You were like, whatever. As well you should’ve been.

It could be argued that until today—the day that the Bears finalized a deal to bring in former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their head coach—Mike Ditka was the only sideline hire in modern Bears history that elicited a palpable sense of elation, a feeling amongst casual and hardcore fans alike that their team, after years of futility, might be a thing.

And Then Came Ben

Chicago’s 38-year-old incoming head coach has a tall task ahead of him—actually, many tall tasks: Hiring a staff, bonding with the front office, winning over the locker room, planning for the draft and free agency, and, most importantly, communing with Caleb Williams, the mercurial soon-to-be sophomore quarterback whose growth (or potential lack thereof) will likely make or break Johnson’s tenure.

Today, however, Johnson has a navy-and-orange fanny pack filled with good will, and chances are that every move he makes between now and opening day will be greeted both inside and outside of Halas Hall with optimism and joy.

Is Ben Ready?

Yes, Johnson comes to Chicago with a ton of question marks: How smoothly (and quickly) can he transition from OC to HC? Will dealing with the notoriously cranky Chicago media be an issue? Does he have a defensive philosophy? Is he, as the entire franchise hopes, a leader of men?

Right now, Bears Nation isn’t super-concerned with the answers. They’re just thrilled that they have a coach who has the balls to do this:

This was the trick play Ben Johnson designed against the Bears in Chicago last month ... Now he gets to design such plays for Chicago as their head coach. pic.twitter.com/BsWnAY2POO
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 20, 2025