Less than 48 hours after their season came to an end, the Lions lost again.
On Monday, Ben Johnson decided to leave his post as Detroit’s offensive coordinator. He will reportedly stay in the NFC North to take the Chicago Bears’ head coaching job. Johnson’s move has been coming for a long time. Although he has been one of the top candidates for the past two coaching cycles, he has opted to return to the Lions each time.
He now departs for the Windy City, joining a rival with the 2024 NFL draft’s No. 1 pick, Caleb Williams, on their roster. Johnson will be tasked with making sure that the prince that was promised delivers on his potential.
Meanwhile, for the second time in Dan Campbell’s tenure as Lions’ head coach, he’ll be looking for a new offensive coordinator.
Here’s a look at the winners and losers following Johnson’s relocation to Chicago.
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Winners
Chicago Bears
After trusting Matt Nagy and Matt Eberflus to steer the franchise in a winning direction, the Bears finally admitted defeat in hiring guys named ‘Matt.’ Instead, they have turned to Johnson, who hopes to, ironically, get the franchise off the mat.
They are the big winner here, and for good reason. Johnson comes in as one of the top offensive coordinators in the league and a highly coveted candidate. They should be commended for reeling in one of the coaching cycle’s big fish. Plus, it comes at the cost of potentially weakening a division rival, who the Bears will have to compete with if they want to make the postseason going forward.
However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Johnson still has to show that he’s a capable head coach rather than a great coordinator. Regardless, there is a risk with every hire and Chicago puts itself in a position to succeed with this one. The Bears are all-in on Williams and now it’s up to him to deliver in what is a very favorable position.
Ben Johnson
Johnson also walks away as a winner, getting his chance to become a head coach. There are only 32 of those jobs in the league and the former offensive coordinator deserves his shot. He doesn’t have to move far, going from Detroit to Chicago, and gets the added benefit of coaching a young quarterback like Williams.
The Bears provide an opportunity to mold an offense around a more mobile quarterback, adding a dimension that was missing with the Lions. They are armed with talent like DJ Moore and Rome Odunze on offense and come into the offseason with a projected $66.63 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.
Chicago also has the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. This roster can easily be molded to fit Johnson’s needs. He waited for the right opportunity and appears to have found it with the Bears.
Caleb Williams
While his fellow draft class members like Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix enjoyed plenty of success in their first seasons, Williams didn’t have the same benefit. It was a challenging year for the quarterback, who was dealt a hefty dose of reality in his rookie year.
Chicago’s offensive coordinator hire, Shane Waldron, didn’t make it through the year, nor did Eberflus, only adding to the dysfunction. In many ways, it’s a throw-away year for Williams. He now gets a fresh start with someone with a proven track record.
Sophomore year should be much better for him.
Losers
Detroit Lions
Not only did the Lions lose their crafty offensive coordinator, but they also lost him to a team within the division. This is a double whammy for Detroit, which has to replace a key member of its coaching staff and compete against him twice a year.
The Lions were arguably the Super Bowl favorites this season. At the very least, they were the NFC favorites. For a team that’s never won a Super Bowl, the thought was that Detroit would see their coaching staff poached after the parade. Instead, they now bid farewell and have nothing to show for it.
Dan Campbell
Now, Campbell’s job starts. Thanks to two great coordinators, he’s enjoyed a charmed NFL life over the last couple of years but now he’ll need to find a replacement. Championship windows close quickly in the league and making the wrong hire can effectively end Detroit’s ability to compete in its current form. After a 15-2 season that ended abruptly in the playoffs, Campbell will need to hit a home run with his third OC hire as head coach.
Las Vegas Raiders
Considering Johnson’s apparent checklist before taking a head coaching job, this one always seemed to be more of a pipe dream rather than reality, despite the reports of momentum building. Las Vegas still doesn’t have a clear answer to their quarterback position. That makes them a risky landing spot for any potential coach, especially after their recent run of quick firings.
Ben Johnson
Johnson is not only a winner in the situation but also comes out on the losing end. While his new team is seemingly positioned for success, that is more of a projection. Johnson leaves behind a loaded Lions’ offense headlined by a dominant offensive line and the league’s best running back duo.
He will not get the chance to take all that talent with him to Chicago, which means results may vary. As a top candidate, Johnson won’t have a long leash to deliver results before fans get antsy. There’s a real chance that his stint in Detroit could set expectations too high, which will only make life more difficult with every bump in the road he encounters with the Bears.
Johnson also appeared more reserved and disconnected than the fiery personalities on Detroit’s staff, like Campbell and Aaron Glenn. This only raises more questions about how he’ll fare as the face of the Bears’ operation.
Make no mistake though. No one will be surprised if Johnson delivers excellent results in Chicago. However, don’t discount the possibility that this thing comes crashing down faster than anyone anticipates.
If it does, the warning signs were there.