Bears, Ben Johnson reportedly finalizing deal to make him next head coach

Ben Johnson is remaining within the NFC North, opting to take a head teaching job with one of many Detroit Lions‘ prime rivals.

The Chicago Bears and Johnson are finalizing a deal to make him the following head coach, NFL Media reported Monday. 

Johnson, 38, has been with the Lions in numerous roles since 2019, together with as offensive high quality management coach, tight ends coach and passing recreation coordinator. He served as Detroit’s offensive coordinator over the previous three seasons (2022-24), with the Lions turning into top-of-the-line offenses within the NFL beneath his tutelage. Detroit completed within the prime 5 in factors and complete yards in every of the previous three common seasons.

Johnson joins a Chicago group that is coming off a 5-12 season, marking its fourth straight shedding yr. However Johnson will get the possibility to mentor one of many recreation’s prime younger quarterbacks in Caleb Williams, whom the Bears chosen with the No. 1 general choose within the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars additionally vied for Johnson’s companies, interviewing him earlier in January.  

Previous to becoming a member of Detroit in 2019, Johnson, a now-first-time NFL head coach, was a graduate assistant and later tight ends coach at Boston College (2009-11). He then held a number of teaching roles with the Miami Dolphins from 2012-18: offensive assistant, assistant quarterbacks coach, tight ends coach, assistant extensive receivers coach and extensive receivers coach.

Johnson coached alongside Dan Campbell – who grew to become Detroit’s head coach in 2021 and retained Johnson — with the Dolphins from 2012-15, with Campbell serving as tight ends coach till being promoted to interim head coach in 2015.

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