For fans wanting the Chicago Bears to hire an offensive-minded head coach in the coming days, Week 17 was another perfect example of why it needs to happen.
The Bears tied a season-low in points scored on Thursday night with just three against the Seattle Seahawks in what was maybe the worst game of the 2024 NFL season. There wasn't a whole lot of positive to take away from the Bears' offensive showing in this one, unless you count a Caleb Williams touchdown pass to Rome Odunze that was ultimately called back because of a penalty.
The current coaching vacancy will be the hottest topic among this fan base until the Bears make a hire, and one of the top candidates available is, of course, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
By now, most fans know Johnson to be a top candidate. Many fans have also kept up with the topic of him coming to Chicago, with much of the latest providing hope to the matter.
We've seen and heard countless reports, rumors and analysis on the idea of Johnson in Chicago, but fans will continue to monitor the words coming from notable sources. Among those sources are NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Media.
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The two of them recently wrote a column on some of the coaching hot seats and vacancies and, in plain fashion, had this to say about Johnson in Chicago:
"One name that is expected to be part of the process: coveted Lions OC Ben Johnson, who is intrigued by the job and is going to listen."
So, beyond any report of Johnson potentially not wanting to be in Chicago because of organizational dysfunction, it seems that the interest level is, indeed, real. Johnson will listen and is interested in the job.
Ben Johnson is atop a strong list of Bears coaching candidates
Rapoport and Pelissero went on to include former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury as top candidates.
Among other candidates include a recent wild card name such as former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, whose name came up in the conversation recently. To many fans' surprise, the Bears are even reportedly interested in bringing Carroll in for an interview.
Staying in Detroit, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is also going to be a hot name in this coaching hire. What he's been able to do, keeping this Lions defense afloat after countless injuries, has been admirable.
Getting the right coach is obviously priority number one. But, what comes next is going to be very telling. Should Johnson get the job, that would have to mean he feels like there is a concrete plan in place from the top on down.
Does that mean Ryan Poles gets to stick around? Or, does Johnson come in under a new GM? He's been pretty adamant that he'd only take a job if he knows there's a concrete plan in place and has hinted that a dysfunctional front office/general manager relationship isn't something he's looking for.
The next few weeks are going to be a wild ride, that's for sure.