The Chicago Bears have a long history of failing to strike at the right time or make the right choice when hiring their next head coach. They made a change in 1999, the same year Andy Reid went to Philadelphia and one year before Bill Belichick took over in New England. In 2013, they chose Marc Trestman over Bruce Arians. Four years later, they chose to keep John Fox rather than pursue Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVay. Finally, in 2022, they didn’t even bother meeting with Kevin O’Connell. That is why the team’s ability to lure Ben Johnson to Chicago this past January feels increasingly like a miracle.
Everybody knew the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator was the hottest coaching candidate on the market and considered one of the best of the past few years. His offensive aptitude was well known, but many felt he had the intensity and detailed approach that good head coaches need. That has since been proven true as the Bears sit at 9-3 with a chance to seize full control of the division in Green Bay on Sunday.
If you aren’t quite sold on how lucky this team was to land the 38-year-old, just look at the list of “hottest” candidates for 2026 according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
There isn’t anything close to a Ben Johnson next year.
That list doesn’t exactly inspire confidence for any team hoping to find its franchise savior. Let’s run through some of the names just to illustrate why.
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- Matt Nagy – former Bears head coach who regressed after a fast start in 2018 and isn’t a great play caller.
- Robert Saleh – former Jets head coach who never had a winning season
- Vance Joseph – former Broncos head coach who was fired after two years
- Anthony Weaver – defensive coordinator whose unit has regressed significantly from last season
- Jeff Hafley – good defensive coordinator who flopped as a head coach in college
- Joe Brady – a young offensive mind who one could argue has been carried by great QBs
Not an inspiring list to say the least. It’s either filled with former head coaches who flopped at their first job or coordinators with inconsistent track records. The most intriguing might be Chris Shula since he’s running a terrific defense in Los Angeles and comes from the McVay tree, which has produced excellent coaches in the past. Still, none of these guys come anywhere close to the pedigree Ben Johnson had during his ascent in Detroit over the past few years.
Nobody wants to imagine what it might be like for the Bears right now if they were heading into next spring needing a coach. It would be equal parts terrifying and a little depressing. That is why fans should take a moment to thank their lucky stars that the organization had the good sense to do the obvious thing for once and chase the best candidate.
