Less than 48 hours after the Detroit Lions' season ended with a Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders, news came that offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was leaving to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears.
That quick turnaround had a strong section of Lions' fans crying foul. There's no way Johnson could have been focused on putting together his best game plan for the Commanders, after having done multiple virtual head coaching interviews before the Lions even knew their Divisional Round opponent. Leaving for a division rival as Johnson did was an added layer.
Johnson's speech upon his arrival at Bears' headquarters surely only fueled the fire Lions fans had toward him. Hiring two assistant coaches from the Lions' staff (Antwaan Randle El and J.T. Barrett) probably didn't help either, even if it's common business and former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has done much the same in his role as New York Jets' head coach.
Related: 3 Detroit Lions free agents who could follow Ben Johnson to the Bears
Dennis Allen reveal will make Lions fans hate Ben Johnson even more
As Glenn's departure loomed as inevitable, former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen was an easy candidate to be the next Lions' defensive coordinator. Then he surfaced as the reported favorite to be Johnson's defensive coordinator in Chicago. It ultimately worked out for the Lions though, as the easy No. 1 candidate to replace Glenn-linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard-was promoted to defensive coordinator.
Allen's hiring as Bears' defensive coordinator became official this week. He spoke to the media on Thursday, and made an interesting reveal about when Johnson first contacted him.
"At some point as we got later in the season he reached out to me just to see if I would be interested," Alen said. "I told him that I would be interested."
New #Bears DC Dennis Allen said Ben Johnson reached out to him late in the season to gauge his interest in joining him as DC wherever he landed—and Allen told him he was on board. pic.twitter.com/Sl7S7Y2CNp
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 30, 2025
Lions fans have reacted to that reveal in the expected fashion.
Ben Johnson had already quit on his team. How pathetic
— Children of Assyria (@GhostOV_ALDAVIS) January 30, 2025
Lions had no chance of reaching the SB. Ben was checked out weeks before
— Just a Guy (@ii1_ken) January 30, 2025
So during the playoffs???? See Ben wasn’t locked in, makes sense why they passed it on 3 and 1 when Gibbs was having an incredible 1 st quarter
— michigan man (@treentjvd) January 30, 2025
So what Im gathering from this was Ben Johnson was already thinking about his new job at the end of the regular season when we had the playoffs still https://t.co/NqhojfOgyt
— 𝓪𝓵𝓮𝔁 💫 (@GibbsForSix) January 30, 2025
Johnson was rumored to have wanted the Bears' head coaching job a year ago, but it didn't come open. Reaching out to a potential assistant coach who was not employed by a team, as Allen was, is nothing that hasn't been done before by other head coaching candidates. Others have certainly reached out to potential assistants who were employed by a team before they technically should have.
A lot of Lions fans now naturally despise Johnson due to his becoming the head coach of a division rival, and a perception initial head coaching interviews were a huge distraction before the playoff loss. That he reached out to the guy who became his defensive coordinator in Chicago before the season was over is just another brick in that hatred wall.