Report: Ben Johnson 'deeply considering' taking Chicago Bears job

With the Detroit Lions falling to the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional Round over the weekend, Ben Johnson is free to choose between a myriad of jobs courting him, and the offensive coordinator is reportedly intrigued by a division foe.

According to Josina Anderson, Johnson is “deeply considering” the Chicago Bears gig, which would allow him to work with Caleb Williams as last season’s top draft pick enters Year 2. Coincidentally, it would mean he has to play the Lions at least twice a year for the foreseeable future, but those are the breaks.

“Developing: There are league sources who now believe Ben Johnson is deeply considering the head coach vacancy with the Chicago #Bears, per league sources,” Anderson posted on X. “Nothing is official or ever done until it’s done! We’ll have to wait and see which team Johnson formally decides on.”

The Bears were originally the front-runner for Johnson, before a push by Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders had them circling the Lions offensive coordinator. ESPN’s Adam Schefter never believed the smoke though, connecting Johnson to Chicago over the past few days, and Anderson’s report is a bit of a feather in his cap.

“Well, I know everybody has got Ben Johnson anointed to the Raiders. I’m not in that camp right now,” Schefter said, via The Pat McAfee Show. “So, I have to believe it before I see it. Again, I know that this Raiders freight train has gathered a whole lot of steam – and I don’t want to slow it down because, by the way, I want to say, for the record, it could happen. He could be the coach there. But I am not just convinced just yet that that’s going to be the way it’s going to be.

“If you’re picking the Raiders? You’re telling me that Ben Johnson turned down the chance to go coach Jayden Daniels last year, turned that down, so he can go to a place this year in Las Vegas without a top pick, without a quarterback, that plays in a division with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, Andy Reid, Jim Harbaugh, and Sean Payton? Does that make sense to you? I’m just wondering. Like, I’m just laying it out there like that.”

All told, Ben Johnson seems like a heavenly fit for the Bears, and it would certainly be an exciting move for Chicago. Time will tell if Josina Anderson’s report proves true, but it would be a home run for the NFC North franchise, for sure.

On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this article.