Ben Johnson dubbed 'organizational win' for Chicago Bears as praise for hire pours in

The Chicago Bears' hiring of Ben Johnson as head coach is earning widespread praise from NFL media, marking a major win for the franchise's future.

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When the Chicago Bears announced Monday afternoon that Ben Johnson would be the team’s next head coach, the news sparked a wave of shock and excitement across the fanbase. For the first time in years, Bears fans find themselves in unfamiliar territory—celebrating a team led by a brilliant head coach and an exceptionally talented quarterback.

Chicago has never truly experienced the dynamic combination of a brilliant head coach and a standout quarterback. The closest comparison might be Mike Ditka and Jim McMahon, but let’s be honest, that was nearly 40 years ago. It doesn't count anymore.

Lovie Smith had Rex Grossman. Jay Cutler had Lovie, John Fox, and Marc Trestman. Mitch Trubisky was paired with Fox and Matt Nagy. Justin Fields? Yeah, he had Nagy and Matt Eberflus.

Finally, that run is over. Or, at least, it feels like it's over.

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Bears receiving praise for hiring Ben Johnson

Bears fans aren’t the only ones buzzing with excitement over Ben Johnson’s arrival. NFL analysts and media experts are raving about Chicago securing one of the most sought-after head coaching candidates in recent years.

"For the Bears, this should be considered an absolute win with no qualifications. Regardless of how Johnson turns out, he has been the league’s best and most entertaining offensive coordinator in each of the past three seasons," Sports Illustrated's Connor Orr wrote.

"In Chicago, a locale that has been something of a coaching afterthought since the team hired Lovie Smith from the St. Louis Rams (and Smith, eventually, brought the team to a Super Bowl), coming down with the biggest remaining name in the coaching market—a hire that, I’m guessing, will also show the team’s financial commitment toward getting this right given that Johnson had other suitors—was all that mattered."

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It's rare for Bears fans to be here, a place where the organization is praised for the head coach they hired.

Remember, it wasn't long ago that the Chicago Bears were the butt of many jokes about how many candidates they were interviewing. The number grew to 17 before Johnson accepted the job.

It seems general manager Ryan Poles was thinking several moves ahead all along, with Ben Johnson as his ultimate checkmate.

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