What Bears' Ben Johnson hire could mean for Vikings, NFC North

Chicago has landed its man, reportedly hiring the Lions' Ben Johnson as head coach.

Dec 22, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson before a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears got their guy. They're reportedly finalizing a deal to hire Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their next head coach.

After choosing to stay in Detroit amid head coaching interest over the past couple hiring cycles, Johnson is moving on — and heading to one of the Lions' division rivals. He always seemed to be the top candidate for the Chicago job, and while he was pursued by the Raiders and other teams, the Bears' vacancy was an attractive one because of the presence of 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, among other factors. Another is that the path to the Super Bowl appears to be more open in the NFC than in an AFC stacked with star quarterbacks.

What does this move mean for the Vikings? For starters, it could potentially represent a shift in the balance of power in the NFC North. We're about to find out, beginning next season, just how important Johnson was to the Lions' success over the past few years. He's established himself as one of the brightest offensive minds in the league, which means he won't be easy to replace. The Lions, following their stunning loss to the Commanders in the divisional round, are also bracing to lose defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to a head coaching position this offseason. Even with a star-studded roster, they could be in line to take a bit of a step back in 2025 as they break in at least one new coordinator, maybe two.

If the Lions do take a step back, the Vikings could be poised to capitalize, depending on what happens with their quarterback situation this offseason. The Packers are also lurking as threats to win the division. And if Johnson is the home-run hire he seems to be, the Bears could make this a legitimate four-team race in the near future — perhaps as soon as this year.

On paper, Johnson looks like an oustanding hire to maximize the Bears' potential with Williams, who is coming off a solid rookie season (3,500 passing yards, 500 rushing yards, 20 passing TD, 6 INTs, 87.8 passer rating). The former Oklahoma and USC star showed plenty of flashes of stardom, but he also led the NFL with 68 sacks taken and lost five fumbles in a year where the Bears went 5-12 and were just 3-7 in one-score games. If Johnson can help Williams take a year two leap, Chicago could quickly become pretty interesting.

Johnson going from Detroit to Chicago means, at least on paper, the best team in the division takes a hit and the worst team in the division gets a boost. That could only increase the parity in what was an incredibly competitive division in 2024 (at least in the regular season).

One other thing to note with the Vikings: Johnson being hired by the Bears eliminates one of the potential landing spots for defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who interviewed with Chicago this weekend. Flores has also interviewed with the Jets and Jaguars, but another vacancy being filled increases the odds that he's back with Minnesota in 2025.

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