Jared Goff's comments on Ben Johnson from September sounds strikingly similar to what Caleb Williams wants in the Bears' next head coach
The Chicago Bears' head coaching search is in full swing and it's already been an exhaustive search this week.The Bears have five interviews already scheduled with top candidates and a total of 14 requests that have already been sent out around the league.The betting favorite among the fanbase to land the job right now is […]
The Chicago Bears' head coaching search is in full swing and it's already been an exhaustive search this week.
The Bears have five interviews already scheduled with top candidates and a total of 14 requests that have already been sent out around the league.
The betting favorite among the fanbase to land the job right now is easily Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who's been the cream of the crop each of the last two cycles going into 2025.
Johnson previously expressed interest in the Bears' vacant position after moving on from former head coach Matt Eberflus and the Bears will have a window to interview him virtually between January 8th and January 13th. The Bears already have a virtual interview scheduled with fellow Lions' coordinator Aaron Glenn on January 11th.
The interview with Johnson and the potential second interview following the virtual one in the coming days will be highly anticipated for the Bears, not only because he's the top candidate but because he checks all the boxes the team is looking for.
One of those boxes is being able to develop rookie quarterback Caleb Williams going into his second season. When asked what he's looking for in his next head coach, here's what Williams had to say on Monday.
“I would say just challenge me,” Williams said. “Whether it’s pulling me aside and saying whatever — having talks consistently. Maybe having a list of things, we want to accomplish, myself first — that helps the team. From there help find ways to set goals. However it might work out, just challenge. Find ways to help better myself and better the team. Really excited about that."
Basically, what Williams said is that he wants a coach to come in and coach him hard and challenge him. Why is that important when it comes to Ben Johnson? Well, look what Lions' quarterback Jared Goff had to say about his offensive coordinator back in September.
"He's not afraid to coach me and coach me hard and that's what I crave," Goff said. "I love being coached hard and I love getting feedback. He wants me to be great as much as I want to be great and it's fun to play for a guy like that."
How Goff feels about Johnson as a coach is almost exactly word-for-word what Williams said he's hoping for at the conclusion the team's search.
On Tuesday, Bears' general manager Ryan Poles listed some more qualities he's personally looking to see from the candidates. Some of those qualities included having a "clear vision" and "really good game management."
Well, what Lions' wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown had to add about Johnson in September nails the head on both those qualities.
"The way he's explaining the plays, the way he's detailed with how we've got to run these routes in the red zone, I just knew the way he was talking to us, it just felt different," St. Brown said. "I told one of my teammates… I was like, 'Bro, when Ben gets up there, he knows exactly what he's talking about, he's telling us what he sees in this play, what he wants us to do. There's no gray area. It's super detailed.'"
Once the Bears' searching committee sees those traits in Johnson during the upcoming interviews, it should be a done deal with no second thoughts. From there, it's on the Bears to sell themselves to the top candidate, and that's the kicker.
Johnson is looking for a situation that will give him freedom, patience, and most importantly alignment with the organization. On Tuesday, chairman George McCaskey shockingly said he doesn't believe alignment is a big factor. Well spoiler alert, it is for Ben Johnson and the hopes of reeling him in.
For fans worried about McCaskey's statement, don't look too much into it. Later on, CHGO's Adam Hoge noted that Johnson is comfortable working with Poles as his general manager and if the two are on the same page following the interviews, Poles will be extended and stick around with Johnson in Chicago, saying that's the direction the team goes with the search.
But, in all honesty, it all depends on the upcoming interview with Johnson and how that meeting goes. If it goes well, it certainly seems like he would be the perfect candidate to take over as the head coach of the Bears for everyone involved.
Ben Johnson’s latest audition at Soldier Field in Week 16 should make the rest of the Bears’ head coaching search an easy process
No need to overthink this decision.
