During his time as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson showed plenty of creative chops as a play caller (a pass play for offensive tackle Penei Sewell stands out as an example). While the boldness didn't completely transfer to his first year as the Chicago Bears' head coach, the creativity absolutely did at the play-design level.
Johnson made it clear heading into the break before training camp that he would be in the lab trying to figure out ways to evolve the Bears' offense. While that likely includes putting his unique stamp on a league-wide personnel trend, it surely won't end there.
We'll likely see indications of players doing things that aren't the primary part of their job during the more casual times of training camp practice (as rare as those times will be). Last year, a Bears offensive lineman ran pass routes and caught some passes.
If he doesn't already know, Johnson might try to find out who can throw the ball in order to expand his catalog of trick plays.
Bears matched with player who'd test Ben Johnson creative limits
To put it mildly, Taysom Hill has had a unique career. Being tight end-eligible, since he lined up for snaps there and caught passes, made him a risk-reward cheat code that broke fantasy football platforms. He has done everything from playing quarterback to returning kicks, as a Swiss Army knife of a whole different level.
After nine seasons, Hill recently announced his time with the New Orleans Saints is over.
"I still don't have a clear answer about what the future holds, but I know that returning to New Orleans is not in the cards," Hill wrote on social media. "I couldn't move forward without taking the time to say thank you."
While it feels possible Hill will end up calling it a career if a new opportunity doesn't surface in the coming weeks, he did not announce his retirement, and one team in particular makes perfect sense as a fit. But should he explore all potential options, other teams might be willing to make room for his unique talents.
The Bears would seem to be one of those types of teams, so it's no surprise FanSided's Austen Bundy included them on a list of three potential landing spots for Hill.
"Head coach Ben Johnson was wildly creative when he was the offensive coordinator for Detroit and brought that same wild-card approach to Chicago. If he were to consider Hill, there's a near endless list of possibilities to insert him into the playbook. Hill can play fullback, tight end and quarterback on top of special teams duties."
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If he continues his career, Hill landing with the Denver Broncos almost feels pre-ordained. But if his former head coach Sean Payton doesn't move quickly to bring him in, the Bears and Johnson are an intriguing possibility. And if Johnson wants to add one of the most unique skill sets the NFL has ever seen to the mix, it's a good bet to happen.
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