The Chicago Bears have reportedly landed the biggest fish in the 2025 NFL head coaching cycle.
Multiple reports shared on Monday that Johnson is finalizing a deal to leave the Detroit Lions as their offensive coordinator and join the Bears as their next head coach.
Johnson is widely regarded as one of the sharpest offensive minds in the NFL, and now he’ll get to work with the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft in quarterback Caleb Williams.
After playing a key role in morphing the Lions into a bona fide contender, Johnson will now hop across the NFC North to help Chicago dig itself out of a long stretch of uninspired results.
It’s hard to overstate what a big deal it is for Johnson to land with the Bears. Chicago’s immediate future rests on its ability to maximize Williams’ potential after the 2024 team largely failed its rookie quarterback. Johnson can help guide that process as well as anyone in the NFL.
Assembling a sturdy offensive line should be priority number one in Halas Hall, something Johnson will play a major role in as free agency and the draft loom in the spring. Williams was sacked 68 times in the 2024 season, tied for third-worst ever by a quarterback in an NFL season. That’s unacceptable.
Keeping Williams clean in the pocket is the paramount objective for Johnson and Chicago going forward. No amount of creative play-calling or intimidating offensive weapons will matter if the Bears cannot keep Williams from taking too many hits. They must keep him protected as much as possible.
If Johnson can do that, the rest should fall into place when considering Williams’ tantalizing flashes in 2024. Former New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen is reportedly the frontrunner to be Johnson’s defensive coordinator, which would be another big win for Chicago. Allen’s aggressive scheme translates well to the Bears’ defensive personnel as it stands.
For the Bears, this is about as well as this coaching search could have gone. The team gets the marquee hire in the 2025 head coaching process and makes a division rival weaker in the process. On paper, hiring Johnson could instantly jettison Chicago into meaningful contention in the NFC.
Johnson is the flashiest play-caller to land an NFL head coaching job since Kyle Shanahan joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, and Shanahan has never had a quarterback as talented as Williams at his disposal. This should get Bears fans incredibly excited for what could be.
However, this is just the start. Johnson’s ability to translate his success as a coordinator to being a head coach is yet to be determined.
Building a good offensive line is imperative, and failure there could quickly derail a potentially glowing future in the Windy City. As long as the right offensive line is set in place, Johnson’s tenure with the Bears should be an exciting one.
For that, the Bears reportedly hiring Johnson gets an A+.
