Former Lions Player Surprised Ben Johnson Chose Bears in '25, but That Doesn't Add Up

I'm all for being petty when it comes to hating on players who decide to leave Chicago to play for a division rival. Nothing gets my blood boiling like a player who butters up his new fanbase by throwing shade at his former team (looking at you, Adrian Amos).

Ben Johnson's decision to leave Detroit to take the head-coaching job with their rivals in Chicago has been well-documented. Everyone wondered whether there was bad blood there or if the decision caught the Lions off guard.

There was no word on how Detroit's locker room felt about his departure. Both coaches were cordial whenever they were asked about each other. Johnson went as far as to call Campbell a perennial Coach of the Year contender in the same breath that he famously took a shot at Packers coach Matt LaFleur in his introductory press conference.

We finally got some insight into how the locker room handled the 'betrayal'. Former Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone cleared the air on Johnson's departure when speaking to NFL insider Jordan Schultz yesterday.

Former Lions LB Alex Anzalone on Ben Johnson choosing to accept the Bears’ HC offer: “I wasn’t surprised he left, but I think we were all thrown off that he picked Chicago.” https://t.co/dLQ7s6yemO pic.twitter.com/k6uaTM03Z8
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) April 9, 2026

"I wasn't surprised he left, but I think we were all thrown off that he picked Chicago," Anzalone said. "When I saw him take the Chicago job, I was pretty surprised, just because him and Dan [Campbell] were like [close], and it's a division rival."

While I understand bitterness (again, looking at you Adrian Amos), I don't think Johnson deserved any hate for his decision. Specifically, from the Lions' fanbase (where he received the brunt of it). He was widely considered the top candidate on the market, and the Bears were widely considered the most alluring opening. The pairing made sense to virtually everyone.

With that said, it's important to note that Anzalone isn't one for taking cheap shots (when he's not on the field, anyway). He also gave Johnson his due credit for the way he turned around the Bears' fortune in short order during the interview.

"I think a talented quarterback like that in Ben's offense, you just need a decent defense to win games," Anzalone said.

Anzalone is a lot of things, and ball-knower appears to be one of them.

How did Johnson's Bears perform against his former team?

It's honestly tough to gauge who got the last laugh after last season. There are a lot of moving parts in that conversation.

As a Bears fan, it's easy to say that Chicago shanked the Lions and left them for dead after Johnson led them to their most promising season in 15 years. It's easy to say that the future is looking incredibly bright in the Windy City, and Johnson is the most significant reason why that's the case.

Johnson helped the Bears become the league's ninth-ranked offense in terms of total yards one year after they ranked dead last in the same category. It was as remarkable a one-year turnaround as you will ever see.

It's also definitely safe to say that Detroit was in a much better shape with Johnson calling the plays. While their offense was still highly effective (that's going to happen with an offense featuring Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Jared Goff) in the first year of the post-Ben Johnson era, calling it a roller coaster ride would be an understatement. They finished last in the division (9-8), and the offensive coordinator they replaced him with, John Morton, lost play-calling duties in Week 11 and was fired after the season.

With that said, looking at this situation from an impartial lens, the Lions had Chicago's number last season. They beat them twice, including a 52-21 Week 2 blowout in Johnson's return to the Motor City. Johnson has yet to beat his former squad.

I can excuse the Week 2 drubbing, considering the strides they made immediately after that game (it seemed like it was the punch in the face they desperately needed at the time), but they also lost to them in the season finale. The game didn't matter in the standings, but it mattered to the locker room. They didn't rest any starters even though they could have.

Likewise, it definitely mattered to Johnson. Much like the Packers now have a monkey they'll need to get off their back against Chicago after the way their season ended, the Bears still have to do the same against the Lions.

Honestly, I see Chicago losing twice to Detroit last season as a positive. Johnson still has an itch that he hasn't gotten to scratch, and I'd be shocked if he doesn't scratch it in one of their matchups next season. I'd be stunned if the Lions sweep the Bears once again in 2026.

In fact, knowing the competitor that Johnson is, I bet the fact that his former team had his number last season still keeps him awake at night. I bet he's already scheming up trick plays for that matchup alone.