The Morning After...the Bears hire Ben Johnson as head coach

The Chicago Bears made a splash by landing Ben Johnson as their new head coach. Johnson was considered the top candidate in this coaching cycle, and the Bears were able to fend off the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars for Johnson's services.

Johnson's track record as the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator speaks for itself. The Lions offense has been top-5 in scoring for all three seasons under Johnson, including being the top scoring offense this season averaging 33.2 points per game. And his work with quarterback Jared Goff has Bears fans excited as it pertains to quarterback Caleb Williams, who had a record-breaking season as a rookie with the franchise.

There was plenty to break down following Chicago's massive hire of Johnson, including his impact on Williams, what he'll bring as a head coach and tempering expectations. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts on Johnson's hiring:

The Morning After...the Bears hire Ben Johnson as head coach

Alyssa Barbieri

I honestly didn't think the Bears would pull it off, but they actually landed Ben Johnson as their new head coach. This was a move that made too much sense, and there was mutual interest between both sides -- even dating back to last year on Johnson's side before Chicago elected to run it back with Matt Eberflus. We'll see if this holds true, but this could very well be one of those "you remember where you were when it happened" moments in Bears history, joining the likes of the Khalil Mack signing and Jay Cutler trade.

For as much that was made about the Bears don't need an offensive mind -- just a "leader of men" type -- it's extremely important that they landed an offensive genius in Johnson for Caleb Williams, who recently spoke about wanting to grow with an offensive coach for the next 15 years. Johnson's track record with Jared Goff -- and the Lions offense as a whole -- speaks for itself. Detroit's offense has been top-5 in scoring all three seasons he's served as offensive coordinator, led one hell of a rushing attack and helped revive Goff's career when he was nothing more than collateral damage when the Rams traded for Matthew Stafford.

But make no mistake, there's still plenty of work to be done with this roster. Johnson won't be a cure-all for Chicago's putrid offenses of the past. It will also take some time to get this team where they need to be, especially from a roster standpoint. But I also take comfort in knowing Johnson likely wouldn't have taken this job if the Bears didn't give him some assurances about bolstering the roster and being able to get this roster on par with what he had in Detroit.

Obviously there are going to be questions about whether Johnson has what it takes to lead an NFL team, but you have to take a risk with a first-time head coach. Johnson could very well be the next Kevin O'Connell, and the Bears had to make the move. When you listen to what Johnson's players have said, he's the kind of coach who will be well-liked by players -- that "leader of men" -- and he'll coach his players hard. It's been awhile since Chicago had that kind of coach, and it's exactly what this team needs.

Brendan Sugrue

Every head coaching hire is going to be a gamble, whether it’s a first-timer or someone with previous experience. But far too often, the Bears have failed to land the candidate with the highest upside. Not this time. For once, Chicago did what it took to hire the top candidate during a coaching cycle with Ben Johnson, and the front office deserves credit for not mismanaging the process. Shoutout to the Washington Commanders for taking out Detroit in the playoffs as well. Had the Lions kept winning, who knows if Johnson would have taken more time to deliberate and ultimately have a change of heart? Everything happened the way it needed to for this to get done.

By now, you know what Johnson brings to the table. He coordinated a Lions offense that finished top five in scoring each of the last three seasons with a balanced attack while resurrecting Jared Goff’s career. Staying at the top is difficult to do, though. Many up-and-coming offensive coordinators flash here and there and jump to a head coaching job before they flame out. Johnson is one of the few offensive coordinators to have sustained success as the primary play caller without being a head coach. That goes to show the kind of coach he is and what the Bears should be getting with him leading the team.

I’m excited for what this means for Caleb Williams and the entire roster, and I will be interested in seeing what Johnson says during his introductory press conference. But I will also temper expectations until I see what he does on the field. The offseason hype the last two seasons has only led to bitter disappointment when the season began. I will wait for Johnson and this team to show me things are different before believing in the hype. This is how you get things started, though. After all, it is a gamble—even if the Bears are holding pocket aces.

Mike Pendleton

The Bears got their guy, but I don’t know how much I’m ready to jump up and down in excitement because I need more proof. The front office has to retool an entire offensive line (minus Darnell Wright), find better pass rushing, and it must all come together in 2025. It is hard to believe everything gets right on track in one offseason but here’s hoping a bit more optimism can be had with Johnson now the head coach.

The NFC North was very good this year until the playoffs and now changes are going to follow. Detroit will likely lose both coordinators, Sam Darnold may not be back in Minnesota, and the Packers have roster questions as well. Every team is going to retool, but the Bears have to keep hitting home runs.

They got DJ Moore and other key pieces two years ago, they got Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze this past year, and now they got their coach in Ben Johnson. The issue the past two years was getting their guy was accomplished, getting the right complimentary pieces was not accomplished. Ben Johnson is a fun hire, but the excitement will be gone if the team doesn’t make the critical and necessary roster moves.

Lucas Hunt

It’s not often the organization’s preferences align with the fanbases’, but that’s just how coveted Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was. Scratch that: that’s former Lions offensive coordinator now, as Johnson has agreed to run the show in Chicago as the Bears new head coach. Despite reports of the Raiders’ open head coach position having some allure for Johnson, he decided to bet on Bears QB Caleb Williams’ exemplary skillset and a roster composed of talented, young players. It’s a touchdown, a homerun, a slam dunk – it’s whatever sports analogy you’d like to make. It’s a match made in heaven, and a drastic bounce-back year for the Bears in 2025 is not out of the realm of possibility.

Vincent Parise

The Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson who was the biggest name of any coordinator in the NFL looking to become a head coach. He has no head coaching experience but he helped turn the Detroit Lions offense into a juggernaut. This hire is a good one for Chicago because it’s clear that they made Johnson want to come to them. Every team with a vacancy had him as their number one guy. The Bears got it done right after Detroit was eliminated.

Johnson isn’t bringing his Hall of Fame offensive linemen with him but the dynamic offensive brain is. Ultimately, it was Caleb Williams and his potential that brought Johnson to Chicago. Now, they have work to do in order to get this team turned around. We can only hope that Ben Johnson stuck to his word on what he was looking for in a team. That means the Bears are aware of their mistakes and what needs to be done to correct them. It’s on him to now make the right coaching staff hires and bring winning football back to Chicago.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: The Morning After...the Bears hire Ben Johnson as head coach