To borrow the famous words of ex-Dallas Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson, who once said "How 'bout them Cowboys!!", you get the feeling many Bears fans and media members were uttering "How bout them Bears!" after hiring of Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their 19th head coach in franchise history.
Many are lauding the Bears organization for swinging for the fences rather than settling for someone like Mike McCarthy, and Brian Flores, whose tenure with the Miami Dolphins were marred by his lawsuits against the NFL and horrendous relationships with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Since the season ended, the fans were put on an emotional roller coaster as they interviewed a grand total of 17 candidates while waiting for candidates like Johnson to become available for an interview while dealing with playoff restrictions and the Rooney Rule. The process was long and arduous and frustrated fans were expecting the Bears organization to screw up the hiring once again.
After the Lions' Super Bowl dream crashed with a loss to Washington Commanders last Saturday, the Bears moved quickly by interviewing former NFL running back Eddie George, a head coach at Tennessee State in person to meet the Rooney Rule requirement on Sunday and closed the deal quickly on Monday by hiring him without bringing him into Halas Hall for a second interview.
Whoever the Bears hired the next head coach, it was all about maximizing Caleb Williams' potential to the fullest. Caleb himself made it clear he prefers an offensive coach as a head coach to grow with in his recent appearance on "St. Brown Podcast". This is why they interviewed former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who was seen as a strong candidate, and Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. But the Bears hired the coach that everyone coveted the last two years and the job that Johnson himself wanted.
George McCaskey, Kevin Warren, and Ryan Poles all deserve credit for landing the big fish. This is completely different from when Ted Phillips failed miserably by relying on former general managers Ernie Accorsi and Bill Polian, and former Bear turned agent Trace Armstrong, who represented Matt Nagy, Matt Eberflus, offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, Luke Getsy, and Shane Waldron, and Ryan Poles.
Say what you will about Warren but he had said the money was not going to be an issue. By hiring Johnson, it is expected that he will earn close to $15 million a year and his assistant coaches will be well compensated too.
It is also important to acknowledge that Poles was allowed to lead a thorough search with the support of Warren, who did not overshadow nor undermine Poles despite public perception. Despite a disastrous three-year tenure with Matt Eberflus, he was still retained and yet, it did not prevent Johnson from taking the Bears job. Any misconception about Warren and Poles was completely removed.
The hiring of Ben Johnson ushers the Chicago Bears into a new era.
But even with the hiring of Johnson, it is understandable that some fans are still very skeptical. They have had their hopes crushed too many times, especially after what happened this past season with Caleb Williams. Plus, Johnson is a first time head coach and he must quickly command and gain respect of the locker room that was completely fractured under Eberflus while facing Dan Campbell, Kevin O'Connell, and Matt LaFleur twice every season.
The hiring of Ben Johnson should energize even the pessimistic Bears fans, as they are not used to seeing the Bears act like a professional franchise serious about winning. Still, you can't fault the fans, who are in a wait-and-see mode right now before they are ready to invest emotionally in the Bears again.