NFL Insider Tom Pelissero: What Bears Must Do to Make Ben Johnson Their Next HC |The Rich Eisen Show

[@chrisbarr959]

The Bears need to hire a coach like Campbell. Johnson has the X's and O's but Campbell is the heart of it all . ( Ditka was a similar type of coach )

[@psygolf7120]

Campbell slowly becoming a caricature of himself…just like Ditka

[@thenewholistic]

He is literally trying to be Ditka... Not as good at TE, but we'll see if he can win the big one

[@dodu8281]

anyhow it doesnt matter.... ben johnson is the hot candidate in the nfl. so he will choose a team, not the other way around. but to have a culture fix, id go mike vrable the no.1 candidate.

[@brianlevine249]

Won't matter. There's a reason Ben Johnson didn't leave. Dan Campbell is the heart of the team.

[@carnageclaps2594]

yep reason ben johnson didn't leave last year was cause he was waiting for the bears hc job to open

[@brianlevine249]

@@carnageclaps2594 Over the Washington job?? Really?

[@robe2504]

What reason? Or you just trotting out that airhead cliche because you have nfi???

[@richmargin6082]

Yes. You have to careful. How much is it Dan’s personality that the lions are successful? Look at Matt Nagy. Obviously its Andy Reid that is the heart of that team

[@dodu8281]

well he wanted to have an ideal situation to be a HC. we will see if he will have this this offseason...

[@michiglenn]

I really like Ben Johnson. I was really rooting for the Bears to fire Eberfleus & hire Ben Johnson last year. However, the more I look at this, I do have some reasonable skepticism about hiring Johnson, especially given all the flops the Bears have had with “project experiment” HC’s over the years. There’s no doubt Johnson is a great play-caller & adjusts very well to game situations. But how much of that is also the help of his assistants? I think some of it can be given BJ’s coaching history & the same figures/philosophy that’s stuck together from Miami to Detroit. Does that mean Johnson’s playcalling talents would hindered without them? Perhaps not at all, who really knows at this point. Can Johnson operate the same or better with a promotion to HC… while leading the development & playcalling of an entirely new & completely different QB/offense/team? Can that be done without a single piece coming with Johnson? Or can Johnson be just as successful by hiring entirely new coaches around him? If we hire Johnson, we already know that NOT a single assistant will be coming with from Detroit. BJ will be coming to a new team with no past resources whatsoever. He’s very young (38), which isn’t necessarily bad, however his coaching experience is relatively short & overall not very diverse in terms of experience. He’s pretty much only ever been involved in the Campbell (Philbin) offense & a couple years with Adam Gase-all of which was in Miami. I would argue that most of BJ’s philosophy is actually derived from Gase, less Philbin/Campbell. During Johnson’s time in Miami, the Dolphins had 1 winning season during his 4 years there. Even during that ONE winning season, the offensive rankings were pretty atrocious-at one point, they ranked as high as 17th in total offense. Most years, they were ranked bottom 5 in offense. Throughout his time in Miami, the Dolphins were one of the worst offenses in the league. Although, it’s obvious Ben Johnson has grown over the years, I do have some concerns about him being an HC for the first time. His entire stint in the NFL has essentially been working for/with the same coaches, same offensive philosophy, etc. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. However, it’s fair to point out that Ben Johnson would be acquiring a big job… completely on his own… knowing full well that all the tools he’s had around him for nearly the last decade have all been together & will not be coming with. If BJ was able to bring some of those pieces with him as most coaches do, I’d be less concerned about hiring him. However, we all know Dan Campbell & Detroit Lions front office will NOT let any of those coaches leave to go to a divisional rival. So the real question is, do the Bears really want to gamble on someone like that yet again? This just seems like Matt Nagy all over again.

[@YT-Holdings]

@michiglenn - Ben Johnson's offense has scored 105 TD's at home and in Minnesota and 59 TD's on the road and not including Minnesota. He is better suited to coach in a dome. The Lions scored 13 points at Soldier Field last season. I don't believe he is the best coach for the Bears. The Dallas Cowboys need to change their coaching staff. Ben Johnson would be a better head coach for them.

[@GulNadar]

As a Lions fan, you can't count history as a predictor. Most teams have failed in every way possible. College coach falls apart in the NFL, Defensive coach struggles to get offense past barely serviceable, veteran NFL coach can't catch his original lightning in a bottle, Super Bowl winning coordinator becomes a head coach and bombs it. Also looking at Miami when he was a position coach only doesn't quite work. Sometimes people work at a place and learn how not to do things. Same thing can be said for drafting nearly every position top 5 in the draft. I do agree that part of the reason Johnson is fine being an OC is it takes time in the NFL to make all of the connections to fill out a coaching staff. That's just a guess though.

[@jeremims9044]

​@@YT-Holdingsi agreed with you until you said Dallas. Johnson under Jerry would be a bad fit

[@YT-Holdings]

@@jeremims9044 - Where do you think is a good fit for Ben Johnson? He is from North Carolina, so maybe a city closer to home? I don't believe Ben Johnson would want to coach the Jets or Giants. Maybe Jacksonville? Tennessee? I thought Dallas would be a possibility because Ben Johnson appears to have a personality that can handle that situation and they have a solid core of players.

[@jeremims9044]

@YT-Holdings idk really. I know the Bears want him. I personally think it's a faux pas to go to a division rival but it's not forbidden. If he tries to bring over his people from Detroit to Chicago the Lions can block that. He would then have to hire his own crew and basically start over again with an offense that doesn't have the same tools as the Lions (he really opened up his playback after Lions got Gibbs, Monty and Laporta) and has a much worse O line. Plus he has to work with Bears management. And run his offense outdoors in the windy city rather than a controlled environment. If Bengals fire their coach it's a similar situation as Bears but not division rivals or even same conference. Lions management would be more willing to allow Johnson to bring his staff with him perhaps. But it's hard to say overall. Jacksonville might be intriguing as well. Dallas is always premier but I just think Jerry Jones holds that franchise back and has too much control

[@garyslomczynski6579]

Hope he is not that stupid to trust the McCrapskys!!

[@donschwartz8341]

It's not just the Bears! There has been a coaching carrousel in Chicago professional sports for as long as I can remember!

[@alexamerling79]

Something in the water.

[@MrKneri22]

What a fumble by the bears. Harbaugh is perfect for Chicago and a rookie qb. Run the ball and play defense

[@jeremims9044]

Yeah I think Harbaugh would have been best for sure.

[@briananderson7487]

Running playoff scenarios for the #1 seed is easy in this case because there are so few losses for the teams involved. With so few losses it is very likely that scenarios can go down to the strength of victory category for tiebreakers. I've looked at losses in division to Chicago or in conference with San Francisco or out of conference to Buffalo and the reality is that as long as the Lions go 3-1, regardless of who they lose to, having just two losses, and tying with either Philadelphia or Minnesota or even both at 15-2 if they BOTH WIN OUT... in terms of strength of victory, the Lions tough division favors Detroit over Philadelphia and the Lions 1st place schedule favors Detroit over Minnesota. Espns expanded standings show that the Lions are dominating Strength of Victory and no it is not to early to do the math and see that neither the Eagles or Vikings can catch up in that deciding category.

[@tonym2513]

Thank you

[@ayewhaddupdoe]

As a Lions fan, and I'm not just saying this because I want him to stay, because I understand SOME team is going to open their checkbook, I don't think Ben will make a great HC. He's a genius at what he does, don't get me wrong, but he's not going to bring any thing that makes Detroit great except the playbook/calling. He's not big on talking or motivating, and the Bears absolutely need a LEADER. They have a great group talent-wise, but I think AG would make a much better HC in that building than Ben. I'd rather nobody hires either of them though, obviously.

[@Ivypoison23]

As a lions fan same. I see Aaron Glenn as a much better candidate and he’s honestly the one I don’t want to lose out of the two

[@shepergames3734]

I don't know if he will succeed but I think been is a great play caller and he has a lot of friends in the league and I imagine he can put together a great coaching staff. There is a lot more that goes into it like ownership, management, and talent acquisition so nothing is guaranteed. If I was a team like the bears with a young qb, Ben would be my first choice from the field considering Bill is likely a rental.

[@ayewhaddupdoe]

@@shepergames3734 If they were smart, Bills name wouldn't even be in the hat, mostly for the reason you mentioned.

[@4toetroll]

Oh look yet another change to the story. So people hated Poles for picking Flus which he didn't, Now for not firing Flus (which he wanted to) And for not hiring Jim which Jim already wanted to work for the Chargers. Poles is by far the best GM Bears have had fans need to step back and let him do his job. One min (fans) Poles is cooking!! two weeks later (fans) FIRE POLES!!. Stop sounding like Lion fans.

[@donschwartz8341]

The owner doesn't like anyone whose personality, and demeanor frighten him! Just look at the milk toast coaches that have been hired, since Papa Bear died! Ditka, hired by Halas, was the last tough coach we had, Lovey was ok, but when he started to make demands on personnel, they fired him! As a winning coach! Again, he made the owner "uncomfortable"! The McCaskey's are deeply religious, and while I don't have a problem with that, the football field, coaches and players are not going to Sunday school!

[@smh0825]

He’ll never go to the Bears. The ownership and Kevin Warren is not an ideal situation for a 1st time head coach. Johnson wants a franchise with a solid history and leadership group.

[@brianlevine249]

Exactly! People saying this are fools. He turned down Washington last year. Why would he take the Bears this year?

[@rainidayz5021]

Those organizations have head coaches lmao.

[@smh0825]

@ for now…older coaches like Reid or the Harbaugh’s can retire at any moment given their age. Johnson’s only 38, he can wait for a great job to open up

[@jakekieffer4276]

As a lions fan, we dont really know much about how BJ coaches. You hear him talk at the mic for press conferences. I hope I don’t get people too mad for what I’m about to say, but I do wonder how good Ben Johnson will do outside of Detroit. Detroit literally has the best old line 2 top 10 running backs and three very very solid receivers. The Bears have a long way to go, so I wonder how much she can actually do.

[@jakekieffer4276]

That being said, if I was in a bears fans shoes I would want Ben because he has a proven record on offense and knows what an elite team culture looks like

[@jeremims9044]

​@jakekieffer4276 don't forget TEs and QB. Basically B. Johnson has a lot of toys to play with

[@robe2504]

Is he really likely to jump ship in the same division?

[@vonalleyrottweilers7660]

Exactly what I said. He got loyalty to the Lions. He not bout to stay in the division

[@alexamerling79]

Whoever we get needs to be a culture changer.

[@richmargin6082]

They didn’t even bother thinking about getting rid of Eberflus and getting Harbaugh. What a colossal mistake!!

[@AkamatsuCreative]

All I know is Ben Johnson is a good offensive mind, therefore he is GUARANTEED to be a great HC. Just like Matt Nagy with the Bears and Adam Gase with the Jets. Can't miss!

[@jeremims9044]

Don't forget the Pats OC coaching the Broncos and Raiders

[@scottwajda5349]

And I can tell you McVay, O'Connell, LaFleur were all in the same position as Johnson before they got a HC job. Its funny how people only bring up failed coaches.

[@jeremims9044]

@scottwajda5349 well they have to. It's a reality. It's like a coin toss on these "brilliant" coordinators.

[@LookatVince]

We don’t want Ben Johnson in Chicago

[@ernestwebster7392]

Rich want Ben to the bears so bad

[@brandonromero6806]

If hes smart he stays with detroit. Lots of weapons, best team in division, great environment and no pressure. Bears are 4th best team in a difficult division. Caleb is unproven.

[@brycebanghart3739]

As long as the Bears keep getting good players i don't see why anybody wouldn't want to come be a head coach in Chicago. The bar is really low and besides the O and D line the roster is stacked. Also they have alot of cap and picks coming there way this offseason. Its a great opportunity for a new head coach like Ben Johnson. A quick turnaround is easy with even average coaching.

[@Robsay01]

We might have our man already. Thomas Brown. Danny Mac? It depends.

[@anz2441]

These final 5 games will say alot !

[@YT-Holdings]

I hope so. Ben Johnson is best to coach a team that plays in a dome. Their output is much better in a dome.

[@Robsay01]

@ If Caleb and Brown have good chemistry, it’s gonna go along away.

[@shepergames3734]

@@YT-Holdings if you think the lion's play style only works in a dome then you should watch more lions games. They have a great run attack that opens for play action passing. That is working in any weather. Ask the packers how they looked in the rain.

[@jeremims9044]

​@@shepergames3734but you need an O line and backs up open that up

[@stevenbarnes8238]

And also if Cunningham leaves for a gm spot bears get 3 threes supplemental picks for minority front office hire if i am correct.

[@EVParade]

I like Vrabel and Ben Johnson

[@ctk4949]

How about Ben going to the Niners and the Bears trading for Kyle??

[@ohiojosh78]

As a bears fan 🙏🙏🙏

[@arcadedudes8268]

Ben Johnson is not the right guy to coach the Bears.

[@stevethomas5467]

Thomas Brown will emerge as the favorite 🐻⬇️

[@richj011]

Because he's cheap and he'll be just happy to be one of 32

[@marktaylor5084]

Not with that effort yesterday

[@drewskie2385]

I don’t understand the fascination with this guy. Just because he’s a great OC doesn’t mean he can lead a locker room and/or be a great head coach.. go get Vrabel.

[@andylarkin5779]

If you watch a Lions game you might understand??

[@Big.steppa.reese0]

Ah yes Vrabel, the guy who fell apart once his OC’s left. The guy who seemed to be at everyone’s throats within the building. Seems like a real great coach. Bears fans go off of ‘vibes’ more than logic😂

[@drewskie2385]

@@andylarkin5779 did you read my comment?

[@NakAnderso]

Just because a good OC doesn’t guarantee he’s a good HC it doesn’t mean he isn’t either…bum take dawg

[@Steve8105]

I agree. Some coaches should just stay as DC or AC if they are having so much success does not always translate to being a good head coach 99% of the time it ends there careers. Why not keep a good thing together with what’s going on in Detroit and see how many championships you can put together will give him a legacy instead he will go on and be a dud as a head coach

[@richj011]

George will have a plane for Ben Johnson.. United coach seat in the back

[@meijer78]

Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Joe Brady would be my top 3 choices for the Bears job.

[@karlmckinnell2635]

Bears fans need not worry regardless of the coach the organizational dysfunction will remain 😢. Da Bears 🐻

[@ATLASNEVERSHRUGS]

He needs to stay in Detroit ❤

[@marksieber4626]

Gruden maybe. ?

[@detroitdyson2182]

What if after the Lions win the Superbowl Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn stay yet ANOTHER YEAR TO RUN IT BACK 💪🫳🎤 this would no doubt upset a lot of these major media outlet analysts and some fans 😩😮😅😊 GREAT NEWS 👍

[@chrissandell3283]

They won't even win one playoff game....

[@user-sw7js4jw7v]

Bears will literally never make the right coaching choice. They want milquetoast yes-men who will follow what the McCaskey’s want.

[@wpl8275]

LOL. Oh please. Come on.

[@1ColossusBlackwell]

Not be the Bears!! No one wants that job. Stop trying to sell it

[@carnageclaps2594]

everyone wants it stop it lmaooo just because ur saying it doesn't mean it's true literally every media and every person I can find is saying that the bears hc is the best job this year

[@Alexirongatewelding]

Benny is another shoe salesman hard pass

[@alexmathews9901]

Would you rather be a corridnator whos good and goes to a bad team and get fired two yesrs into the job because the Organization as a whole isnt on the same page. Or stick with a winning team?

[@burnzfyaman2365]

Bears need to hire Kingsbury and help insulate Caleb, he got the Commanders relevant pretty sure reunited with CW would do the same

[@Charles-Lawrence]

Eww no

[@tombyrne9003]

Look at the commanders offense in the 2nd half of this season. It has slowed down like kingsbury’s offenses do every year in the NFL. The guy already flamed out as a head coach…please no Kingsbury. It’s vrabel or Johnson all day in my opinion

[@owtkvst]

Yeahhhh no. The Commanders offense has took a nosedive since week 8. No reason to make him the HC again until he can prove his offense is good enough to dominate for a full season.

[@chrissandell3283]

They rejected him for Waldron last year....he won't even take an interview!

[@TimGilbert1980]

BJ will remain in Detroit

[@RomanMyshoul85]

Won't happen, Ben Johnson would probably pick Dallas

[@henrywallacesghost5883]

Sucks we don't have him under contract for another year could have got a draft pick or two out of him leaving.

[@anthonyslazas6413]

You can't stop an assistant coach from leaving if you give him a promotion

[@fbiagent4hire]

he's not leaving to join that poverty franchise

[@mystimallow]

@@fbiagent4hirehe very well could. If he’s still interested in the Bears job then he is a logical person to go after. Any team looking to hire Johnson will not be in a good position. It’s like being the first 10 overall picks. You aren’t going to go to a good team if they are getting picked that high.

[@busyrand]

I'm over Ben Johnson...

[@denniswilson6673]

Wow a wig

[@kingsethos5108]

Johnson will never betray Lions Nation and go to the Bears.

[@anz2441]

Let me tell ya sumthin..Money talks !

[@Djturnt]

@@anz2441he wants to go somewhere warm Florida or California

[@reptonplaya]

The rumors are he wants to go to where there’s a good qb. He’s probably going to an AFC team

[@ayewhaddupdoe]

@@reptonplaya Probably waiting to see what Cincy does about Taylor.

[@reptonplaya]

@@ayewhaddupdoe You read my mind. If Cinci fires Zac Taylor, Ben Johnson is taking that job in a heartbeat. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase in Ben Johnson’s offense would be putting 60 on teams weekly.

[@roddyb5310]

i don’t even want him that team led by dan campbell , and he benefiting from the gm building a great offensive line he can stay where he at his head 2 big he starting to give me josh mcdaniels vibe

[@grizzlyhobo1182]

This dude said absolutely nothing.... blah blah meaningless thank you very much wtf

[@Ebonysails]

Hire Ron Rivera 🐻⬇️

[@esp4372]

Chicago is one of the worst run orgs in the nfl from the owner, gm, coaches…. Hell even soldier field is a dump. Money talks , but Ben ain’t stupid. . .. little to no chance he boards this sinking turd that is da bears.

[@RickLowe-z5m]

Ben Johnson won’t go to Chicago. No way he’ll take a job coaching against his mentor, Dan Campbell, and his team. Not. Going. To. Happen.

[@chrissandell3283]

Josh McDaniels 2.0