Bear Digest

Ben Johnson likes Commanders hire even if it's not his coaching tree

A former Lions backup quarterback when Johnson was coordinator in Detroit has landed a promotion on the Washington staff to offensive coordinator.
Gene Chamberlain|
David Blough passes under pressure from former Bears linebacker Roquan Smith in a 2019 Detroit loss to Chicago.
David Blough passes under pressure from former Bears linebacker Roquan Smith in a 2019 Detroit loss to Chicago. | Tim Fuller-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

It's not exactly a case of Ben Johnson saying, "take that," to Rams coach Sean McVay in a battle of who has the bigger coaching tree.

McVay has a tree stretching out across the NFL while Johnson has just begun his career.

But someone could stretch the truth a bit and call the newly hired Washington Commanders offensive coordinator, David Blough, a branch on the Johnson coaching tree.

Well, at least he would be a seedling growing near Johnson if it's not really part of the Johnson tree, or he could be more of a Dan Campbell branch.

Blough, the former NFL backup quarterback, was on the Lions roster in 2023 when Johnson was the offensive coordinator. He also was there from 2019-20 as a backup while Matt Paticia was head coach and Johnson was an assistant and 2021 when Campbell took over but prior to Johnson being promoted to offensive coordinator

"He’s really smart, has a natural way of connecting with everybody, coaches and players alike," Johnson said of Blough. "I know he’s highly respected, not just for me but also obviously with the Washington staff. They found tremendous value in him as well.

"I think he’ll do an outstanding job in that role. I think he’s really smart, he’s having played quarterback, he’s got that inward feel of how to help elevate that position. And I think he’ll be able to do that in a play-calling role going forward. I think he’ll be one of those young guys that gets a head job before you know it."

Blough played in only nine NFL games with only seven starts during a playing career that went from 2019-2023. His team lost all of seven starts, including his first start at Ford Field in 2019, 24-20, in place of injured Matthew Stafford.

The real Johnson coaching tree will need to wait until after this season ends, and his staff starts to get interest from other teams forming coaching staffs.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.