Just days after the Washington Commanders eliminated the Lions in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, Detroit's ex-offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was off to his new head coaching job in the Windy City, where he arrived to a standing ovation and probably more excitement than the Chicago Bears' headquarters has seen in years.
But hours after that, Lions running back David Montgomery shared a meme to his Instagram story that, depending on how you view it, either lightly pokes fun at Johnson's decision in a good-hearted way, or lightly pokes fun at it in a maybe, possibly, could-be-bitter-that-he-left-us way.
In the meme, Montgomery is looking puzzled at a picture of Johnson with the text "Ben Johnson deciding to coach the Bears" pasted on top, implying the running back is confused or unsure about the coordinator's move.
David Montgomery on his IG story 💀#OnePride pic.twitter.com/f3787s6Ux0
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) January 21, 2025
That Johnson would leave Detroit was really just a matter of when—not if. He was heavily pursued over the last two coaching cycles after transforming the Lions offense with a one-of-a-kind playbook, and was considered a coveted candidate for multiple openings. Before the news of his hiring was even announced, Lions coach Dan Campbell said he was expecting to lose the OC, as well as Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who is at the tail-end of talks for the vacancy with the New York Jets.
Still, even if they knew it was coming, Johnson's departure is a tough blow for Lions, who must restart their Super Bowl quest over again next season without a key piece of the pie. So even if he wishes Johnson well, which I'm sure he does, Montgomery is likely just having a bit of fun and playing into that dynamic a bit with a perfectly-timed and hilarious meme.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lions RB David Montgomery Shared Hysterical Meme About Ben Johnson Leaving for Bears.
