Ben Johnson was a hot head coaching candidate in recent years, and ultimately hired by the Chicago Bears, because of a great run as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator over the last three seasons. It's still early, but questions about his ability to take that step up to leading an entire football operation have pretty much been answered.
Of course the biggest mark of Johnson's success or failure as the Bears' head coach will be where quarterback Caleb Williams goes in his career. Williams could not be more different as a quarterback than Jared Goff, so Johnson may be able to expand and diversify what he did in Detroit without losing the core things he demands from his signal caller.
Ben Johnson revealed what keeps him up at night regarding the Bears' offense
On Wednesday, a reporter asked Johnson about rookies getting settled into roles as the season opener approaches and being able to trust them. The full extent of his answer went in a broader direction.
"It's not just the trust of whether he can do a certain job, it's the sharing the wealth," Johnson said. "That's what keeps me up at night, trying to make sure that all of our horses are fed. These guys, they're super talented players. We just need to get them a little space and the ball in their hands. They can make big things happen. I've been pretty transparent to them in the spring, and so far in camp, that if you're active on gameday, we're going to have a role for you, we'll have some jobs for you. How big that is? It's really dictated on how well you practice and, really, your track record going up into the week."
Johnson has brought the "no block, no rock" mentality the Lions' playmakers have with him, and instilled it in the Bears' playmakers from the start. If you're not doing the dirty work when the ball isn't in your hands, you might not be on the field for opportunities when the ball could be in your hands.
It's not hyperbole to suggest, top to bottom, the Bears have more skill position talent than the Lions did (or do). The key for Johnson will be putting those players in position to succeed, and it's safe to assume he has done his homework there.
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Having a lot of playmakers and "only one ball" is a concern a lot of coaches would love to have. Johnson shouldn't have too much trouble navigating it, even if it's understandably keeping him up at night before his regular season head coaching debut.