As we have reiterated a lot lately, this topic is going to be one that's being hit often until a move happens. The Chicago Bears' coaching vacancy is the clear hot topic among this fan base and will continue to be until a head coach is hired.
One of the leading candidates for the job is, of course, Ben Johnson of the Detroit Lions. The current offensive coordinator has been sought after for multiple years, now, and it looks like he might finally choose to leave Detroit.
In a recent interview on 670 The Score, NFL insider Mike Florio dove into the Johnson topic as well as what the Bears are looking for in their coaching search, at the moment.
"They're going to do everything they can to try to enhance the development and the performance and the career of Caleb Williams. That's the goal," Florio started.
As he went on in this discussion, though, Florio also began to touch on general manager Ryan Poles and the idea that someone like Johnson could come in and want more power. The relationship between Poles and team president Kevin Warren is one thing, but Poles and Johnson is a completely different story.
So far, Poles has blatantly ignored going out and addressing the offensive line in a major way. That's something Johnson has to view as a red flag and will want to change immediately. Will there be more issues, down the line, which may cause friction between the two of them?
Mike Florio laid out a glaring reason why the Bears might not be able to hire Ben Johnson
"That dynamic of GM and coach is critical," Florio said. "Is Ryan Poles comfortable bringing a guy in who might try to take over ... might try to undermine Ryan Poles? Those are things that aren't conducive to winning but they are very real factors that can influence which way a decision goes."
Florio then put himself in Poles' shoes. Considering Johnson could come in and want to hold a good amount of power, would Poles really decide not to hire him even though it would be what's best for the team?
"If I'm looking at two candidates, and one guy is going to undermine me and the other guy is going to basically respect me and defer to me, I might be more inclined for my own purposes to go with that guy even if it's better for the team to go with the other," Florio finished.
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Barring an extension, Poles has to know his job isn't guaranteed to last past 2025, if he does indeed stick around. This year is the last on his current contract with the Bears. So, would he truly risk not mkaing the best decision for the team if it meant he'd get along better with the next head coach?
Winning football games will allow Poles to keep his job longer, and by many accounts, that will happen with a coach like Johnson rather than going some silly route like, say, Mike McCarthy or Pete Carroll.
I'm no expert nor an insider, but this seems far too logical. Hire the best coach for the job because that will equal wins, which also means you might get to keep your job longer.
Too easy, right? Well, maybe not. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.