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Lions OC Ben Johnson ‘intrigued’ by Bears head coaching vacancy

mike pendleton, bears wire
·2 min read

The 2024 NFL regular season is nearing an end, meaning the coaching search for the Chicago Bears is starting to pick up with rumors and names attached to their vacancy. On Sunday, NFL Network's "The Insiders" had an update on the Bears current coaching search, specifically with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who had interest in the job last year.

According to Tom Pelissero, Johnson is "intrigued" by the Bears coaching job this year, which would link him with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. With the Bears welcoming Detroit to Soldier Field on Sunday, Pelissero reports that Johnson is one of the hottest names in NFL coaching circles, and he's willing to listen to Chicago.

"My understanding is, Johnson is intrigued by the Bears job, and he's going to be willing to listen," Pelissero said. "There's a lot to like in Chicago with Caleb Williams, tons of cap space, extra draft resources. Also, a major market, they're expected to break ground on a new stadium next year. Team President Kevin Warren has a lot of connections around the league from his several decades in pro and college football, that's allowed them to get a jump start on the search process. Gathering background as part of what is expected to be a thorough search, led by Warren and GM Ryan Poles, interviews with current NFL assistants like Ben Johnson can not begin until after the regular season."

This season, the Lions rank second in total offense, second in passing offense, and sixth in rushing offense. While Chicago will need to address their offensive line in a big way this offseason, there are plenty of weapons on the offense that could intrigue Johnson to work with in Chicago, while continuing to develop Caleb Williams. Detroit's offensive line is one of the premier units in the NFL, and Johnson won't have a chance to repeat any sort of success or production in Chicago if the offensive line doesn't get upgraded.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Lions OC Ben Johnson ‘intrigued’ by Bears head coaching vacancy