Ben Johnson Candidly Admits It Wasn't 'Ideal' to Leave Lions For Rival Bears

Johnson got honest on leaving the Lions for the Bears.

Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ben Johnson was viewed as a top coaching candidate over the last two seasons thanks to his success as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions since 2022. Johnson creatively engineered a Lions offense that ranked top-three in the NFL over the last two seasons.

Johnson certainly was coveted as a potential head coach by multiple teams, and even previously turned down the opportunity to become a head coach in '24. When he finally took a head coaching position, he remained in the NFC North and headed to the division rival Chicago Bears.

Johnson acknowledges that heading to a Lions' division rival wasn't "ideal," but he also felt strongly about the Bears organization he has joined.

“When you go from coordinator to head coach, you're looking for a great situation," Johnson said on Pardon My Take. "That's what I felt like Chicago had to offer. I felt really strongly about the ownership, George McCaskey, president, Kevin Warren, [general manager] Ryan Poles, obviously. ... I felt like we could win not only in the near future, but long term as well. Just as a consequence it ended up being in the division. Is it ideal? Probably not, because I have a lot of love and respect for those guys that I just came from. But it’ll make a couple Sundays each year a little bit more fun.”

Ben Johnson on leaving the Lions for the Bears:

“Is it ideal? Probably not, because I have a lot of love and respect for those guys that I just came from. But it’ll make a couple Sundays each year a little bit more fun.” @PardonMyTake pic.twitter.com/K7N3WtCq4s

— Barstool Detroit (@BSMotorCity) February 26, 2025

Competing with his former team for division titles might not be ideal, but the Bears were considered one of the best coaching vacancies this offseason. Joining the Bears gives Johnson the opportunity to work with a talented quarterback in Caleb Williams, and the Bears already have talented pieces on both offense and defense. The Bears are not necessarily far off from contending, which made it an ideal situation for Johnson to walk into for his first head coaching gig.

It's not unprecedented for a coordinator to get a head coaching job with another team in their division either. Currently, Johnson is one of two head coaches to remain in the division when going from coordinator to head coach. He joins Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, who spent three seasons as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator before going to the Commanders.

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