It's official: Bears announce Ben Johnson hired as head coach

The Chicago Bears have officially hired Ben Johnson as the 19th head coach in franchise history, the team announced Tuesday.

The news was first reported on Monday as Johnson and the Bears were finalizing a deal. He flew to Chicago on Tuesday, where he officially signed his contract at Halas Hall.

Johnson was considered the top candidate in this coaching cycle, and he also drew strong interest from the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bears' coaching search was extensive and included 17 candidates, but Johnson was considered their top target from the beginning.

Johnson has worked wonders with the Lions offense in three seasons, which this year is a top unit in the league -- averaging 33.2 points per game (1st), 409.5 yards per game (2nd), 6.2 yards per play (3rd), 263.2 passing yards per game (2nd) and 146.4 rushing yards per game (6th). But it's his work with quarterback Jared Goff that makes him an enticing option.

Now, Johnson will get to work with a talented young quarterback in Caleb Williams, who's coming off an impressive rookie season despite a poor situation around him. Johnson is the perfect guy to develop Williams and also help lead this team to compete in a talented NFC North.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: It's official: Bears announce Ben Johnson hired as head coach