Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will be announced as the new head coach of the Chicago Bears, according to multiple reports.
Johnson was one of at least 17 candidates for the role and will lead a Bears team that finished last in the NFC North this season despite winning four of their first six games.
Chicago (5-12) lost 10 straight after its promising start, including a 23-20 loss at Detroit on Thanksgiving, which led to the firing of coach Matt Eberfluss on Nov. 29 and the replacement of Thomas Brown as interim coach for the rest of the season.
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is set to move to the Chicago Bears in the NFC North.
Johnson spent three seasons as Detroit’s offensive coordinator under Dan Campbell and helped develop Jared Goff into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, with the 38-year-old widely considered the top head coaching candidate on the market.
The Bears have confirmed interviews with 17 candidates, including former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel. is the head coach of the New England Patriots.
Johnson prepares for the Bears challenge
The Lions went 15-2 in the NFC before being stunned by Jaden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in Saturday’s divisional playoff game.Detroit led the league in points per game and was second in passing yards and total yards during the regular season. in yards per game.
Quarterback Caleb Williams will be Johnson’s top priority after the Bears’ fourth straight losing season. Last year’s No. 1 pick threw for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. But he has been sacked a league-leading 68 times.
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Highlights of the Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs
Johnson had high praise for Williams before facing the Lions in Week 16, saying: “There’s no doubt that this guy is talented. I remember standing on the sideline in the last game and you could hear the ball whistle.
“He’s got a pretty quick ball and he’s got some creativity, he can extend the game and he’s accurate on the pitch as well. I haven’t really gone deep and I can tell you more, but he’s been impressive.”
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Take a look at the best Detroit Lions tricks of the 2024 NFL season, including Jared Goff throwing touchdowns, onside passes and even fake touchdowns.
Chicago has made just three playoff appearances since the team won the NFC in 2006, while their lone Super Bowl title came in 1985. The Bears haven’t won a postseason game since Lovie Smith’s 2010 team led to the conference title game.
The Bears entered this season in the hunt for the playoffs after making some high-profile moves in the offseason, highlighted by the arrival of Williams and the blockbuster trade of 6-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen to the Los Angeles Chargers.
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Speaking on the Inside the Huddle podcast, Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinbold reflected on Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ progress in the opening weeks of the NFL season.
Their season went off the rails after a 4-2 start that forced them to fire a head coach for the first time in a season when they fired Eberflus after a series of bad decisions in recent games. They also fired an offensive coordinator for the second time in less than a year. with Shane Waldron lasting just nine games after replacing Luke Getsy.
Brown, who started the season as the passing game coordinator, took over for Waldron and became the interim coach a few weeks later.His only win as head coach came in the final game of the regular season against the Green Bay Packers.
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