Report: Bears hiring Lions' Ben Johnson as head coach
The Chicago Bears are finalizing a deal with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to become their next head coach, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Johnson's offense led the NFL in points per game (33.2) and ranked second in yards per contest (409.5) this season. Detroit went 15-2 and earned the NFC's No. 1 seed.
He'll look to build a new explosive offense in Chicago with quarterback Caleb Williams, wide receivers Rome Odunze and DJ Moore, and former Lions running back D'Andre Swift, among others.
The Bears also own the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and are projected to have the fifth-most salary cap space heading into the offseason, according to Over the Cap.
Johnson has already begun building his coaching staff, with former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen the leading candidate to be the Bears' defensive coordinator, Schefter adds. The team is also reportedly pursuing former Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi as its special teams coordinator.
The 38-year-old was widely considered the top head coaching candidate available this hiring cycle. The Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars were also in the running to land Johnson.
Jacksonville's setup wasn't in line with what Johnson wanted in his first head coaching job, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports.
Chicago finished the 2024 campaign 5-12. The Bears fired former head coach Matt Eberflus after Week 13. He posted a 14-32 record in nearly three years with the club.
Detroit and Chicago will play twice per season as NFC North foes.