Ben Johnson has terrorized defenses around the league for the last three seasons, so it’s no surprise that he’s been one of the hottest head coach candidates three years in a row. But where does he end up?
It’s no secret that the Chicago Bears desperately need a culture of any kind and a winning HC. After finishing the 2023 season 7-10 and making splashes in the trade market and the NFL Draft, many fans and analysts expected the Bears to be a threat. Unfortunately for Bears fans, Caleb Williams, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze couldn’t save them from the enigma of Matt Eberflus. But is Chicago a good fit for Ben Johnson?
There is no shortage of weapons on the Bears roster, with Caleb Williams as quarterback going into his second year, wide receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze, plus D’Andre Swift as running back. The offense would definitely be a threat with Johnson at its helm. It helps that Johnson already has experience with D’Andre Swift, who was drafted by the Lions in 2020. As far as how Ben Johnson feels about Caleb?
“It’s been difficult to just sit down and study every throw, but plenty of crossover tape over the course of the year and there’s no question that this guy is talented… I remember standing on the sideline last game and you can hear the ball whistle by you. He’s got quite a fastball, has some creativity to him, can extend plays and is accurate down the field, as well. Like I said, I haven’t really dove in and can’t tell you much more beyond that, but he’s been impressive from afar.” Johnson told 97.1 The Ticket.
So the Bears have plenty of weapons to offer Ben Johnson, and he seems to be a fan of Caleb Williams. What’s the catch? It’s simple: The Bears currently have five turnstiles up front on the offensive line. This is a glaring weakness that Johnson would have to address immediately to help right the ship in Chicago.
This shouldn’t be too difficult, considering Chicago has the fifth-most available salary cap heading into the 2025 season with $82 million. The worst case for Chicago? Ben Johnson gets the Bears offense rolling for the first time in forever. In the best case, Johnson brings a winning culture to Chicago and turns the team around. After all, he’s the start of the Dan Campbell coaching tree.
Alright, let’s keep this one short and not so sweet. The Jets are a dumpster fire, and there’s no hiding it. The fans know it, players know it, and most importantly, coaches know it. What does this mean for the Jets and their chances at Ben Johnson?
On Dec. 5, Albert Breer reported that Johnson had two criteria for pursuing teams.
“Number one, he’ll be looking for organizational alignment, particularly between the GM (general manager) and head coach. And then he’ll be looking for recognition from the organization of the things that have gone wrong and a willingness to fix them.”
Based on how Jets owner Woody Johnson has handled things this season, I think it’s pretty safe to say Johnson won’t be coaching in New York in 2025.
The situation in Jacksonville is interesting. Jaguars owner Shad Khan is willing to bring winning football to Jacksonville, even if his moves haven’t panned out. However, his decision not to clean house heading into the 2025 season is also interesting. Trent Baalke has bolstered Jacksonville’s roster with notable talents such as Travis Etienne Jr., Tyson Campbell, and Travon Walker.
However, he has also had minimal success later in the draft, and good teams bolster their rosters with mid to late picks. That being said, Baalke only has one year left on his contract. So, if Johnson and Baalke can’t find the organizational alignment previously mentioned, Khan could seek a replacement with Johnson’s help.
Johnson would also have a good variety of offensive pieces in Jacksonville. Brian Thomas Jr. had a stellar rookie campaign, and Etienne Jr. plus Tank Bigsby make up for a solid, if not great, backfield. Johnson could also be the exact thing Trevor Lawrence needs right now.
While I wouldn’t call Lawrence a bust, he has failed to meet the hype surrounding him coming into the league. Granted, Lawrence has dealt with the turbulence of Urban Meyer and Doug Pederson during his time as QB1. But if anyone can help Lawrence reach his potential, it’s Ben Johnson.
All in all, the Jaguars have a solid shot at landing Johnson as their next head coach. However, at the same time, I wouldn’t be too shocked to see him head elsewhere.
Okay, this may be me just trying to manifest things here as I bleed Honolulu blue, but Johnson returning to Detroit isn’t entirely beyond the realm of possibility. We’ve seen it before, as prior to the 2023 season, Ben Johnson canceled an interview with the Carolina Panthers and withdrew his name from the HC ring.
Again, before the 2024 season, Johnson informed the Washington Commanders he’d be staying in Detroit a day before taking his second interview with Washington. Ben has made it clear that he loves and appreciates Dan Campbell, Jared Goff, and the city of Detroit. Johnson has built arguably the most consistent and dynamic offense in the league over the last three seasons.
Detroit’s culture is that of grit, resilience, and determination. It’s a culture that Johnson has helped Campbell grow and nourish, so I wouldn’t be too surprised if Johnson were to return following the Lions, possibly making a Superbowl appearance but losing. After all, unfinished business brought Ben Johnson back to Detroit for 2024.
Calm down, Patriots and Saints fans. You can put the pitchforks away. I didn’t forget about you. I just don’t think Johnson will be coaching for either team by the time we kick off the 2025 season.
New Orleans will likely get a Lions coordinator as their next HC, just not Ben Johnson. It’s no secret that the current Detroit team has deep ties to the Saints, as Dan Campbell stems from the Sean Payton coaching tree.
Not to mention Aaron Glenn, who played as a Saint and was the team’s defensive backs coach from 2016 to 2020. Glenn will return to the New Orleans sideline in 2025, but only this time will he be back on the home bench as an HC.
As for New England. Johnson and Drake Maye would be a sight to behold, there’s no doubt about it. However, from where I’m sitting, Robert Kraft fired Jerod Mayo only because he knows he can get Mike Vrabel in the building. Now, if I was Kraft and I couldn’t get Vrabel for some reason. I’d swallow my pride and throw all the money you can at Ben Johnson, then hire whatever GM he tells you to.
Oh, and one last thing. Psst, Mike Brown, yeah, hear me out, will ya? Fire Zac Taylor and hire Ben Johnson. I know what you’ll say, “he’s taken us to the playoffs, etc., etc.”
Yeah, well, as a Lions fan, I was there when everyone said the same thing about Jim Caldwell having a positive record and taking the Lions to the playoffs. Caldwell was okay, but no one in the NFL who cares about winning wants to be OK. And a Bengals squad that has Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins should NEVER be 9-8, plain and simple.
Alright, that’s enough ranting from me. It’ll be exciting to see how everything turns out. Keep up with the coaching carousel and everything in the NFL with us at Stadium Rant!
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