The Detroit Lions’ revival began about the time that Ben Johnson was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022. While he had arrived in Detroit on Matt Patricia’s staff in 2019, Johnson helped the Lions win eight of their final 10 games that season and go on a run where they reached the NFC Championship Game in 2023 and earned the best record in the conference in 2024.
Johnson inherited a new test when he became head coach of the Chicago Bears. Like the Lions upon Johnson’s arrival, the Bears have failed to become contenders more often than not, and their search for a franchise quarterback has stretched all the way back to Sid Luckman’s run in the 1940s.
But Johnson is embracing the challenge and has also cleared his first hurdle as he and new student Caleb Williams look to end the drought.
Ben Johnson Says He Wants to ‘Change the Narrative’ With Bears
Johnson was asked during a Wednesday press conference what he thought about Williams’s father’s comments in Seth Wickersham’s upcoming book, American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback. The comments, which stated that Chicago “is where quarterbacks go to die,” didn’t faze Johnson, as he made a straightforward response to the question.
“I love it,” Johnson said. “I love the opportunity to come on in and change that narrative. That’s where great stories are written. So we’re looking to write a new chapter here [with the] 2025 Chicago Bears and looking forward to the future.”
Chicago’s situation isn’t one that is unfamiliar to Johnson. After slogging through the final years of the Patricia era, Johnson stayed on with Dan Campbell’s staff. As perennial doormats in the NFC North, the Lions struggled through the first year and a half before rising to become a legitimate Super Bowl contender each of the past two seasons.
Johnson’s task is similar in Chicago. The Bears haven’t made the playoffs since 2020 and just three times since reaching the Super Bowl in 2006. Finding a quarterback has become an even bigger challenge, and wasn’t lost on the Williams family as they looked for ways to circumvent the 2024 NFL Draft to avoid going to the Bears with the No. 1 overall pick.
Williams wound up in Chicago anyway, and it was the disaster that his family had feared. While the 23-year-old completed 62.5% of his passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns, and six interceptions, he was also sacked 68 times and faced incompetence from head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
The good news is that Johnson should be able to help Williams more this season. After taking fellow No. 1 pick Jared Goff to prominence, Johnson has already gotten off on the right foot with his new signal caller. It could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship. But for now, Johnson is winning the public relations battle as he prepares for his first season on the job.