Matt Eberflus sits in the same position as each of his last three predecessors. He’s had two consecutive disappointing seasons. Expectations were high going into his third, but rather than meet the challenge, it appears as if things are crumbling around him. Fractures are forming in the locker room. Assistants are being sacrificed. Nothing is going right. It happens to Marc Trestman, John Fox, and Matt Nagy. Now it looks like his turn, barring a miraculous turnaround down the stretch. Speculation is already running rampant that other coaches are eyeing the job. One of them is Ben Johnson.
The Detroit Lions offensive coordinator figures to be one of the hottest names in the league next off-season. He almost landed a job this year before choosing to stay in Detroit. Word is he like the allured of Chicago and may again in January. However, Dianna Russini of The Athletic poured some cold water on that idea. She revealed that Johnson is seeking two things for whichever job he takes. One is a quarterback. Caleb Williams is a former #1 overall pick. That shouldn’t be too difficult. The other? Let’s just say the Bears are a big problem there.
“It’s too early to say whether Ben Johnson, the Detroit Lions’ highly regarded offensive coordinator, will become a head coach, but he is widely considered one of the top candidates. Despite interest last season, he chose to remain with the Lions to continue to learn and grow. With that in mind, the playcaller hopes to work with a strong owner and quarterback, but I’m told he will be particular about his pick. We’ll see if this is the cycle when he decides to jump in.”
Ben Johnson may shy away from the McCaskeys.
Nobody would blame him. In their 40 years of ownership, since George Halas died, the family has managed only two Super Bowl appearances and 16 winning seasons. Most of those came in the 1980s. Chicago has had one winning season in the past 11 years and no playoff wins. They’ve also developed a growing reputation for rampant dysfunction, as showcased by various incidents, including the most recent ones involving the dismissal of Shane Waldron. Nobody can say the McCaskeys are meddling owners, but that isn’t the problem. They don’t seem to exude much leadership. Hands-off is the best way to describe him.
That would create problems for a first-time head coach like Ben Johnson would be. Unless the Bears fire Ryan Poles and hire somebody different, the coach would likely walk into a situation where the GM is already on the hot seat. Even the prospect of working with Williams might be enough to lure Johnson into such a situation. Some coaches would prefer owners who don’t interfere, but he holds the opposite view. Everything starts at the top. If this is true, the odds of coming to Chicago are dropping.
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