Ben Johnson wants to bring back winning football to 'special' Chicago

On the same day that he was introduced as the Chicago Bears head coach, Ben Johnson was spoken highly of by his new bosses, including chairman George McCaskey. When McCaskey spoke to reporters after Johnson's press conference he told the story of Johnson repeatedly expressing his desire to take the Bears job.

Johnson credited quarterback Caleb Williams, as well as his desire to stay in the NFC North, and his feeling towards the Bears team being a "sleeping giant" as reasons why he wanted the job. For Johnson, not only were there football factors to his decision, but he also understands what the city of Chicago is as a dedicated sports town, dying for success.

"This place is special," Johnson said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. "I felt that on the interview, I felt that with the people on there [interview], I felt really confident in their vision and direction, it's something I wanted to be part of. I spent time in Chicago, I know what a great sports town this is, I want desperately to be successful here in football so they can thrive and have a team that they're proud of. That played a huge factor in it, the people, the place, and as a competitor, I love this division."

Johnson praised the Bears franchise and the city of Chicago, which has not seen their team win a Super Bowl since 1985, and they have not appeared in one since 2006. Johnson's understanding of not only the franchise, but the city of Chicago he is coming to is a big plus as he looks to make an immediate good impression on the fanbase.

Three of the four teams in the NFC North division made the playoffs in 2024, and as Johnson departed from Detroit to be the head coach of the Bears, he's hoping that if it is not all four teams next season, he'll look to make sure that the city of Chicago has their football team back in the playoffs.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ben Johnson wants to bring back winning football to 'special' Chicago