The Detroit Lions' success from 2023 and 2024 is partly due to the work of former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson with quarterback Jared Goff. The tandem was nearly unstoppable in those two seasons, and they nearly reached the pinnacle in 2023 had it not been for a collapse in the second half of the NFC Championship that year.
Of course, you can't just sever ties with teams that successful once you move onto a new role, and that's the case with Johnson and his Lions connections. In a recent article in The Athletic from Dan Pompei, Johnson mentions that he still regularly uses a group chat between himself, Goff, and former Lions center Frank Ragnow.
"The quarterback-coach relationship is very different from what it was in Detroit, where Johnson became a confidant of Jared Goff’s when Goff was struggling with a transition from the Rams, and Johnson was a tight ends coach. They became so interconnected that Goff was a primary reason Johnson shied away from head coaching opportunities in 2023 and 2024. They still text frequently, sometimes in a chain with former Lions center Frank Ragnow."
Johnson, Goff relationship makes Bears-Lions rivalry feel a bit less punchy
Obviously, Johnson is a fiery competitor. We don't need another video of him shirtless in the Bears locker room after a victory to confirm that fact. And, there's always going to be some extra oomph to any game between Chicago and Detroit with both teams on the rise consistently, and with both likely the two favorites to snag the NFC North title this year.
But, it's nice to see that Johnson and Goff aren't letting this divisional rivalry get in the way of what was obviously an unbelievably transformative period of each other's lives and careers.
Johnson's best work with Goff and the Lions is what made him such a hot commodity on the head coaching market in the 2025 offseason, and Goff's ascension under Johnson has solidified him as a top-10 quarterback in the NFL, at least.
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Even more endearing is that Johnson was reportedly one of the first people to reach out to Taylor Decker following his release from the Lions, according to Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network:
"Instead, it’s been radio silence. It’s uncomfortable. It’s awkward. It feels like a high school breakup, where you can’t make eye contact when passing each other in the hall. You know who did call Decker? Ben Johnson, his former offensive coordinator and head coach of the Chicago Bears. Not to recruit him to the division rival, but to check in, like a friend does."
Johnson was a tough coach to lose for numerous reasons, but largest of all might be that he just had such an excellent interpersonal relationship to key Lions on the roster. It's almost enough to make you hate seeing the Lions absolutely demolish Chicago time and time again. Almost.
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