Ben Johnson is the most sought-after HC candidate in the NFL. A team is your best option

Black Monday is a day that many NFL employees dread every year. The day we get the most news about which coaches have been fired from their respective teams. It is a day that we must not forget, it is an incredibly human day. Not only are the head coaches fired, but the entire staff. It means a radical change for families across the league. I like to remember those types of things before just talking about the head coach hiring cycle. It’s not just about making numbers work, it’s also about lives and livelihoods.

That being said, there are several organizations that are now in need of a head coach and can begin the process of interviewing coaching candidates (some are already underway).

One of those teams is the Chicago Bears, who snapped their 10-game losing streak and 11-game losing streak to the Packers, all in the final week of the season on Sunday. In rookie quarterback Caleb Williams’ first trip to Lambeau Field, he accomplished a feat that had become so elusive for the franchise. Of course, not alone. A field goal situation late in the game was handled appropriately and credit goes to interim head coach Thomas Brown, who secured his first victory while in charge of the Bears. General manager Ryan Poles stated that Brown will get a full formal interview for the permanent position as the Bears embark on their search for their 19th head coach.

However, another name that has been at the top of most Bears fans’ wish lists is someone whose team isn’t done playing football yet: Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Because Detroit clinched the joint first seed in the NFC North in a Week 18 thriller over the Minnesota Vikings, Johnson will have some extra time on his hands with the first-round bye. Teams will be able to interview him (along with defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn) virtually starting Wednesday and must complete those interviews by Jan. 13, according to new NFL hiring cycle rules.

The Bears have reportedly already expressed interest in interviewing Johnson, and why wouldn’t they? Johnson led the league’s highest-scoring offense, with Detroit averaging nearly 33 points per game in the regular season.

Johnson’s offenses have become the gold standard over the past two seasons. He is diabolical in his plays and draws new wrinkles weekly. His players also seem to be having fun playing for him. He asks them to do some crazy things, like asking right tackle Penei Sewell to throw a pass, or catch a pass, or do a fake reverse, or block first, or play left tackle. The schemes Johnson devised for “Sonic and Knuckles,” aka Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, resulted in both players surpassing 1,000 yards from scrimmage, even when Monty was injured down the stretch. Gibbs left for four touchdowns in the season finale. Johnson draws inspiration from everywhere, including failed plays that ended up working. In the Bears’ last game against them, Johnson called a fumble fake on which Goff intentionally tripped, Gibbs fell to the ground, and players yelled “fumble” while tight end Sam LaPorta broke free and caught an open touchdown.

Johnson got it from Chicago’s 2023 game against the Packers in which quarterback Jordan Love fumbled but froze the linebackers long enough for Packers tight end Luke Musgrave to get wide open. par and Love scored anyway.

Things like that are why Johnson will be the most attractive head coaching candidate this cycle, even if he decides to leave (which is still an option). Yeah). Chicago would be foolish not to pursue him.

Not only does it make sense for the Bears, but Chicago is also the best option for Johnson.

Johnson would take charge of the development of Williams, the team’s first overall pick in 2024. Williams, although he had the most sacks of any quarterback in the league, put together a statistically impressive season. His 3,451 passing yards are the fifth-most of any Bears quarterback. His 20 touchdowns this season are the most since Mitch Trubisky had 24 in 2018 and the 12th most by any quarterback in franchise history. Williams threw only six interceptions.

More than just in Bears history, Williams’ numbers stack up among the annals of rookie quarterbacks across the league. During the broadcast, a statistics chart appeared on the screen showing Williams ranking first in touchdown-to-interception ratio among 28 quarterbacks drafted first since 1967. His completion percentage of 62.5% ranks fourth place.

A child like that? Johnson can work with that. He’s already gotten the best out of quarterback Jared Goff, who was sent to Detroit as a consolation in the Rams’ trade for Matthew Stafford. Goff was all but abandoned, and yet Goff ranked second in completion rate this season. His 4,629 passing yards did as well. His 0.25 EPA/dropback also ranked, you guessed it, second in the league, according to Next Gen Stats. Goff wasn’t just facilitating the Lions’ potent offense, he was directing it. A lot of that has to do with the plan Johnson has come up with and the tools he has equipped Goff with. Goff has just been a more confident and efficient quarterback under Johnson. He reads defenses better and does better under pressure. It was enough to sign him to an extension last offseason that will pay him up to $212 million. In terms of average contract value, Goff is the sixth-highest-paid quarterback.

Imagine if Johnson did that for Williams on his second contract.

Williams alone should attract Johnson, but the Bears are no longer the only team with a promising young quarterback under center. The New England Patriots made the surprise decision to fire Jerod Mayo after just one season on Sunday, without even waiting until Black Monday to do so. The Patriots are also projected to have the most cap space in the league by 2025, at just over $130 million, according to Spotrac. In his final game as head coach, Mayo knocked the Patriots out of the No. 1 overall pick with the win, though New England will remain in the top five. But you could argue his roster needs more than the Bears’.

Additionally, Chicago is projected to have over $80 million in cap space this offseason, which ranks sixth. They will also have eight draft picks, including four in the top 100.

The Bears have also signed players such as wide receiver DJ Moore and tight end Cole Kmet to long-term deals. Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze is under team control through 2028, along with Williams. Work will be needed along the offensive line. Knowing what we know about Johnson’s time in Detroit, there will also need to be running back reinforcements. But it’s a good group to work with.

Defensively, the Bears have some needs early on, but if everyone is healthy, the space for the linebackers and secondary is comparable to what Detroit has had. If you contrast that with what the Patriots need (offensive line, receivers, running backs, edge defenders, linebackers, defensive backs), I think Chicago appears to be the path of least resistance.

Johnson is also familiar with the division. That’s important for someone who spends so much time playing chess with his opponents. Johnson makes impossible looks and trick plays every game. He chooses things about his opponent to exploit and does it better than almost anyone. With minimal changes to the division, Johnson would already have all that knowledge incorporated.

Johnson makes sense for the Bears, but more than that, the Bears make sense for Johnson. The only question now is whether Chicago’s brass is willing to partner with the hottest head coaching candidate on the market, and wait to do so. Johnson won’t come cheap and the Bears aren’t known for their unselfishness.

They also have a unique hierarchy within the organization. Johnson would not only report to the Poles but also to team president Kevin Warren in addition to ownership.

But from an on-field perspective, of the jobs available, Johnson and the Bears seem like the best option.

Carmen Vitali is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added Super Bowl champion (and boat parade participant) to her resume. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.