As first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and corroborated by several other NFL insiders, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is finalizing terms to become the Chicago Bears’ next head coach.
Johnson has served as the Lions offensive coordinator for the last three years, producing top-five scoring offenses in each season. This year, the Lions led the NFL in scoring with 33.2 points per game. Johnson had also interviewed for the Patriots, Raiders, and Jaguars in this hiring cycle, as well as eight other head coaching jobs in the previous two offseasons.
It’s a tough loss for the Lions offense and quarterback Jared Goff, who had built a strong relationship with the Lions offensive coordinator. It’s an even tougher pill to swallow that Johnson is now headed for a division rival. He’ll now work with quarterback, and 2024 first overall pick, Caleb Williams to help turn around a Bears offense that hasn’t ranked in the top half of scoring since 2018.
Now we wait to see if Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is also on the move.
Per reports, Johnson is expected to hire Dennis Allen as his defensive coordinator. With Allen’s ties to the Saints and Dan Campbell, he would have made a logical choice to replace Glenn, if Detroit finds themselves with a defensive coordinator vacancy.
You can track the latest Lions coaching news with our 2025 NFL coaching carousel tracker.
