For the third straight hiring cycle, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will be a top candidate for head coaching jobs. He is clearly going to be intentional with interviews he takes, with lessons learned from the last two years to benefit him.
Ahead of Sunday's game game against the Lions' division rival, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Johnson is intrigued by the Chicago Bears job,
"The Bears host the Lions today, and they could be getting a look at their next head coach. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is once again one of the hottest names in this cycle. My understanding is Johnson is intrigued by the Bears' job, and he is going to be willing to listen. There's a lot to like in Chicago, with Caleb Williams, tons of cap space, extra draft resources. Also a major market, they're expected to break ground on a new stadium next year."
Related: 4 head coaching jobs Ben Johnson won't seriously entertain for 2025
There's too much reporting tying Ben Johnson to the Bears for their not be something to it
Back in October, during an appearance on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported Johnson wanted the Bears' job last year, but it obviously it never came open when Matt Eberflus was retained.
After at one point questioning if Johnson would want the Bears' job, ESPN's Adam Schefter changed his tune to suggest the Lions' offensive coordinator might have interest.
As Pelissero reinforced, there is a lot to like about the situation in Chicago. Caleb Williams is a promising young quarterback, and Johnson had general good things to say about him this week. There are some good weapons around Williams, and the defense looks solid. The Bears also currently have the fifth-most cap space in the league for 2025 ($82 million, per Over The Cap). They also have four picks in the first three rounds (top-100 overall?) of next April's draft,
Reports like Pelissero's from Sunday morning don't come out by accident. It also backed up what Breer previously reported, and Schefter sort of reported about Johnson having interest in the Bears' head coaching job. There's no question the team should/will have interest in him, and any question about if he will have interest in them seems to be fading if the reports are to be believed.