Report: Lions OC Ben Johnson may have had strong interest in Bears HC job last offseason

The Chicago Bears made a statement last January when the elected to retain head coach Matt Eberflus for a third season after his second losing season, which included the culmination of a 14-game losing streak and a failed offensive coordinator.

There are many who were frustrated with general manager Ryan Poles and president Kevin Warren's decision to retain Eberflus, especially with a new quarterback on the way. But if they had moved on, could the Bears have had a chance to land a top offensive mind as their head coach last year?

According to NFL insider Albert Breer, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, considered a hot commodity in the coaching cycle, was connected to Chicago in some regard, where some believe he showed strong interest in the job.

"He was definitely connected to the Chicago job last year," Breer said on ESPN Chicago on Tuesday. "There were some people who thought that was the one he wanted."

Now, we don't know the true extent of Johnson's interest in a potential Bears opening last year, but the idea is certainly enough to leave fans wondering what could've been with Johnson and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who's shown promise through seven games but is hampered by offensive line deficiencies and a struggling offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron.

Following a brutal 18-15 loss to the Washington Commanders on a last-second Hail Mary, there's been plenty of discussion about Eberflus' future in Chicago. While one loss isn't enough to bring the hammer down, this latest loss was a familiar one during the third-year head coach's tenure.

If the Bears opt to move on from Eberflus after this season -- although it's too early to start speculating about his job in Week 9 -- could Johnson be an option for Chicago this upcoming offseason? Would he even want to leave what's a great situation in Detroit? We'll have to wait and see how these final 10 weeks shake out.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Lions OC Ben Johnson may have had strong interest in Bears HC job