Bear Digest

Why Ben Johnson rates best choice for Bears and any other team

The Bears interview Ben Johnson Saturday and his compatability with Caleb Williams and GM Ryan Poles seems less significant because of the quality that makes him a sought-after coach.
Gene Chamberlain|
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff talks to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson at minicamp last June.
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff talks to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson at minicamp last June. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Chicago Bears

The star of the Bears coaching search interviews Saturday, and of course this is Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

Increasingly, the view is Jacksonville provides possibly the most competition for Johnson because New England appears to have its eyes on Mike Vrabel. The Raiders are a wild card because of Tom Brady's involvement, but the Jaguars haven't yet done what could make their bid even more lucrative and that's firing GM Trent Baalke.

The Bears have the advantage of being the last team that gets to meet with him. Their impression will—or should be—most lasting.

If the Bears are going to attract Johnson, there are many concerns he'll reportedly want addressed. Someone in his position can make such calls, and one reported almost universally by NFL insiders is this need to be in alignment with the GM. Albert Breer of SI has been reporting this since December.

No one thinks Johnson absolutely must be able to name his own GM, though, just be in alignment with the GM. Breer acknowledged this need when he was talking to Rick Ballou of Into the Night (92.5 FM) about the Jaguars job and GM Trent Baalke. Some GMs, it seems, are less likely be executives who can work well with others.

"I think he finds the (Jaguars) job attractive," Breer said of Johnson regarding the Jaguars. "My feelng--it's just me talking--I think he'd want to bring in his own general manager. So I think you (Jaguars) have a chance to be the most attractive job to him but I think it would be under certain circumstances.

"Now does that mean he wouldn't take the job if (GM) Trent (Baalke) was in there at all? I don't know that, but I do think like he would want some level of alignment with the front office. In fact, I think that's a bigger priority for him than a quarterback."

Bears fans who think of Ryan Poles as some bumbling, bureaucratic buffoon might not like to hear it but the Chicago GM isn't viewed this way elsewhere. There has not been a situation where friction seemed to exist between Poles and his head coach.

Poles is viewed as a GM any coach can work with until proven otherwise. It can't hurt considering he has built a relationship already with Poles underling Jeff King.

Considering Johnson's offensive priorities it is very likely he and Poles would see eye to eye on what needs to be done to make the Bears roster more competitive.

Johnson benefited from possibly the league's best offensive line in Detroit and Poles has acknowledged the need for offensive line improvement.

"I would say, in a bubble, philosophically, you would do that," Poles said at the season-ending press conference. "I also think you have to look at the situations in terms of when you go through the draft is a trade deal what's best available.

"Also, in free agency we are looking at a board of what's there. Just because it's the philosophy doesn’t mean that every year there are answers at those positions to take. Obviously, I believe in that. I definitely think we have all the assets we need. From a draft and free agency standpoint I think some things line up for us to take care of those deals."

It would appear the Bears have this lined up by picking 10th and possessing the sixth most effective cap space, unless Poles has a far different view of the offensive linemen available in the draft and free agency.

As for the other parts of an offense, if Johnson has proven anything it is he can work with wide receivers not necessarily considered the most gifted in the league. Only Amon-Ra St. Brown could be viewed this way on his roster, and St. Brown isn't the classic physical X-type pass catcher on the outside.

What Johnson also has proven is he can work with a flawed quarterback and get his system to work.

Johnson took over as coordinator in 2022 and the Lions already had a season of Jared Goff running Anthony Lynn's offense. Johnson merely adapted his skills to Goff, a prototypical pocket passer who had flaws. Goff's passer rating has climbed from 91.5 for the rest of his career to 102.7 under Johnson. He's completing 68.1% to 64.1% over the rest of his career. His yards per attempt is up to 7.88 from 7.3 in the rest of his career.

Johnson is adaptable. It won't matter whether he has Trevor Lawrence or Caleb Williams as his QB, he's going to find a way to make the offense work as long as Poles or Baalke or any GM candidate of his choice can get the blockers to give the QB a chance.

It would appear Williams is ready to take on a an assignment like this. For Johnson, it would be the second time he inherits a quarterback in his second year with a team. He's been through this and knows what he'll need to do to get Williams up to speed. It is a little different because Williams is still young.

"When a new coach gets hired it will be my second year," Williams said. "There will be things I haven’t done, things that I will need to do to have a long career. That’s a part of the challenge
—be able to fight the level of comfort but also provide a new level of challenge.

"That’s bringing in new stuff I haven’t done. That’s also being able to help me get more comfortable with  things I haven’t done. Then things I do well, be able to maintain and manage those and be able to use those as my strengths."

The Bears need to move heaven and earth to get Johnson in because of his fit.

The only real advantage Jacksonville might have is being in an easier division, but so much changes in a year in the NFL.

The Vikings were never expected to be so competitive. Most picked them behind the Bears this season based on last year and the changes they made.

Changes the Bears have the resources to make this year can push the divisional balance their way, especially if they have the right head coach coming in who is capable of administering the change.

Now they merely need to sell Johnson on the assignment, which for a coach capable of adapting is going to be similar in many respects wherever he winds up. The Bears need to makes certain it's in Lake Forest.

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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.