“Ben Johnson is a home run hire. You don’t have to do flips to justify this hiring. Chicago got the belle of the ball.” That’s Pete Schrager saying what everyone was already thinking. Ben Johnson was the guy every team wanted. The Jaguars, Raiders, and Patriots all lined up for him, hoping to land the offensive mastermind who turned Detroit into a powerhouse.
Fast forward, and the 38-year-old former offensive coordinator of the Lions joined the Chicago Bears as the 19th head coach in the franchise’s history. See, Johnson has taken over the vacant head coach spot after the Bears fired Matt Eberflus and is now ready to coach their second-year quarterback, Caleb Williams. But what about the Lions?
I mean, they’re surely going to miss the man who turned the team’s offense from punchline to powerhouse in the last few years. And let’s be real—not only are the Lions going to miss him, but Johnson’s absence is gonna sting—at least that’s what Detroit’s tight end Sam LaPorta believes. “It hurts, of course,” LaPorta said on losing Johnson to Chicago.
Sam LaPorta on losing Ben Johnson to Chicago: “It hurts, of course”https://t.co/8V4rPYuQtW pic.twitter.com/66h1bMZFfR
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 26, 2025
See it this way: Johnson coached the Lions to top 10 offenses in the last couple of seasons. We’re talking about the second overall and No. 1 in points scored when they finished this season 15-2. To make things more interesting for the Lions and a nightmare for the opposition, Detroit’s 28.5 offensive points per game from 2022 to 2024 are the most in the league. And that’s under Johnson’s tenure, folks.
The Lions promoted Johnson as their OC back in 2022, and with three seasons with Johnson calling the shots, the Lions never dipped below 26 points per game. The man had their offense cooking every week. Now that he’s taken the reins of the Bears, that raises only one question. Is Johnson going to flip the scripts in Chicago after a brutal 5-12 season?
“Meeting with Ben and gaining an understanding of his process and vision, the more confident we became that Ben is the right leader for our team and that he and I will be great partners in building our team and shaping our franchise for long-term success,” that’s the Bears general manager, Ryan Poles, confident about Johnson’s hiring. First and foremost, Johnson’s job is to elevate the second-year QB, Williams who had a record-breaking rookie season—in sacks, of course.
Before the Lions made Johnson their OC, Jared Goff’s QBR was sitting at 46—yeah, not great. But the moment Johnson took over? Boom. Goff jumped to a 63 QBR in his very first season under him. Now, speaking of Williams, the guy’s QBR was 47, and got sacked a brutal 68 times. So yeah, after landing in Chicago, Ben Johnson has a long to-do list in 2025. The most interesting part?
That moment’s going to hit when the Bears take on the Lions—especially after someone told Ben to watch his back against his old squad.
Amon-Ra St. Brown warns Ben Johnson to beware of the Lions
The Bears hiring Ben Johnson as their 19th head coach was anything but smooth. At one point, it looked like the Raiders almost snagged the guy. But nope, after interviewing 17 candidates, the Bears finally filled their vacant HC spot when they signed Johnson. And that led the Lions’ wide receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown, warning Johnson about what could happen the next time they faced off against each other.
Less than a couple of months ago, St. Brown said his St. Brown Podcast, “I told him. Two times a year, Ben, we’re going to f— you up.” That sounded more like a threat rather than a friendly warning. But nah, Johnson isn’t the kind who would bow down and accept the challenge. In response, he stated, “I am going to f— you up,” according to St. Brown.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions Nov 17, 2024 Detroit, MI, USA Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson watches a replay against Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. Detroit Ford Field Michigan USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJunfuxHanx 20241117_pjc_usa_082
And that’s not all. The wideout even added to what could give him an edge over his former coordinator in their friendly chatter. “I told him I know all the plays he likes to run. I know all his tendencies, and we were going back and forth messing around,” St. Brown continued. Well, the guy spent his whole career under Johnson, so no wonder St. Brown knows every play Johnson likes to run.
That said, Johnson may need to think of some fresh ideas and better plans with Caleb Williams before they take down the Lions. After all, the head coach surely doesn’t want St. Brown to have the last laugh—even though it’s a friendly banter.
The post Ben Johnson’s Move to Rival Bears Summed Up in 2-Word Strong Message as Amon-Ra St. Brown Fires Major Warning appeared first on EssentiallySports.
