Bear Digest

What Ben Johnson's fun reputation does for Bears in free agency

The coach of one of the league's most explosive offenses for three years is always an extra drawing point for free agents as the Bears are discovering.

Gene Chamberlain

Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson on Bears O-line changes.mp4
Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson on Bears O-line changes.mp4 /
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LAKE FOREST — One of the key aspects of the Chicago Bears signing a coach like Ben Johnson is the potential draw for players.

It's a reputation molded in Detroit but the hope now in Chicago is it can be solidified here. The Bears are hoping his success can be magnetic, pulling in free agents who might be torn between a few teams.

To be sure, no team wants to be know for free agency because the draft actually builds teams, but filling in the empty spots becomes easier if player want to come and play for a certain coach.

You didn't get many players in free agency saying they wanted to come to Chicago because they just had to play for Matt Eberflus, unless they were coming from Indianapolis.

Johnson's reputation has permeated throughout the league and players who just signed here like talking about it.

"You've seen the offenses he's had," free agent guard Jonah Jackson said. "And like I said earlier, the 40-plus point capabilities it brings to the table. He's a winner. That's what he wants to do."

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Jackson thought back to his days in Detroit when Johnson was offensive coordinator.

"I said this about a former quarterback, but he’s like a wizard," Johnson said. "You can’t time up his play calls. You don’t know what he’s going to call next. It could be third-and-10 and we’re running down the ‘A’ gap and going for a touch. So, he’s a special, special person."

Added Jackson: Definitely, I mean, he commanded the offense. It was his offense. I think he'll be a great head coach here."

Jackson felt Johnson knew in Detroit how to use his offensive linemen to the best of their abilities. 

"I feel like my best years were with Ben," Jackson said. "He calls the game to our strengths and things we're good at. And it’s not just for one guy, specifically.

"I felt like I was able to thrive in that (Detroit’s) system, and I'm excited to get back into it and get back to what I was able to do and keep it rolling."

Joe Thuney came from a very high-scoring team with an explosive offense with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, after being in New England with Tom Brady. With the Chiefs, he had the opportunity to face the Lions.

"Just watching Detroit's offense over the years, every week it's like 30-40 points with really great creative plays and an offense you want to be a part of," Thuney said. "He has such a clear, communicative way of describing what he wants.

"You can feel the passion and the love he has for the game and it's infectious. I think people, everyone around him feels it, and he is just a coach you want to play for."

Even the defensive guys sit up and take notice.

"I was talking to Coach earlier and I was telling him, like, some of these plays you draw up, I don't even know how you think about them. You know what I'm saying?" defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. "And so it's cool and playing that line that they had up there, they're definitely physical and I respect those guys a lot.

"We played them in 2023, I think, and then back in 2020 as well. But I know what the Lions were about, especially the past two years they've been doing really well and to have coach Johnson from there, I mean, as you (media) can see, you talked to him, he's intense, man. He wants to win bad and I'm happy to be able to play for him and I'm just fired up."

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher 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.