Rivalries run deep in the NFC North, and the bad blood between the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears is only intensifying after Chicago poached ex-Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson away from the franchise to make him the next head coach of the Bears.
If losing Johnson to a hated division rival wasn't infuriating enough for Lions fans, the news that he attempted to hire the man that Detroit ultimately replaced him with is certainly enough to push fans in the Motor City to dislike Chicago even more than they already do.
Wednesday morning, Bears legend Devin Hester poured even more gasoline on the fire by suggesting during an appearance on Fanduel TV's Up & Adams that losing Johnson to Chicago will lead to a dead last finish for the Lions in the NFC North.
Bears Setting Themselves Up for Rude Awakening by Disrespecting Lions
"I'm telling you with the OC change, Detroit over the last three years was known for their offense if we really want to be honest. If you take away their 28 point per game average, they lose a lot of games," Hester said. "Their defense was pretty good but it was their offense that kept the defense off the field a lot. I don't see that offense keeping that defense off the field that much now, that offense will struggle in the first few games and it's going to make the defense tired."
Losing Johnson to any team, let alone a division rival like the Bears, was going to be a blow for Detroit no matter when it happened. For Hester to suggest that would be the biggest reason why the Lions will go from first to worst in the division after running off a 15-2 record during the 2024 campaign is a major stretch, though.
For starters, the key pieces of the puzzle that got the job done on the offensive side of the ball for Detroit return. Defensively, the Lions enter the season in a much better position from a health perspective, as Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport are set to serve as the edge rushers for this defensive front. With those two combining to make just seven appearances this past season, their presence alone will pay dividends on defense for Detroit.
It is completely understandable why Hester would do his best to promote his former team with the excitement surrounding the new regime in Chicago. Choosing the Lions as the team that he publicly disrespected in this manner was not a wise decision, though. The last thing Dan Campbell and this Detroit roster need is extra motivation, and Hester just put a shiny target on the back of the Bears with this stance.