Bears Have Opportunity to Quickly Improve if Ownership is Willing to Eliminate Antiquated Processes

Before I get started, I apologize for my lengthy hiatus. I’m frustrated AF by the Bears, and the thought of promoting the team by writing about them disgusted me. That said, I’m here to tell you that a rosy future isn’t as far away as it looks. In fact, the Bears have a chance to be Chicago’s next great team. The White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks are still a ways away, and the Cubs are content to finish four games over .500 year after year.

The Bears can be special, however, and it’s going to happen sooner rather than later. The caveat is that we have to believe Chicago’s executive group will not shoot itself in the foot this offseason. I admit that’s a tall ask, but the franchise has too much at stake to lead with frugality and indecisiveness, particularly when it comes to choosing its next head coach. That means hiring current Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. He is genuinely intrigued by the possibility of coaching the Bears.

“If you’re asking me where does Ben Johnson end up if he takes a job? Right now I would say your best bet is Chicago.”

A lot of good info from @TomPelissero here👇 https://t.co/eyd4uUYiBR

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) December 31, 2024

“My understanding is Ben Johnson is in a much better place in terms of thinking about what he wants in a head coaching opportunity,” analyst Tom Pelissero said yesterday. “It doesn’t have to be the perfect job, but he does want a place where he’s got alignment and the opportunity to build something with sustainable success, like they have in Detroit. The job that comes up more than any other is within the division; it is with the Chicago Bears. I am told Johnson is intrigued by that job, and when it comes his time to interview, he is going to listen.”

That interview can be as soon as next week if Detroit earns the bye that comes with clinching the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The winner of Sunday’s Lions-Vikings tilt will get that honor. Don’t believe the reports that GM Ryan Poles is afraid to hire Johnson out of fear the coach might want him ousted. Poles isn’t going to be Chicago’s GM forever, and making those types of decisions will prevent him from eventually working elsewhere.

That’s where Brian Flores’ name gets mentioned. Yes, the Vikings defensive coordinator has a friendship with Poles, but that doesn’t make him the favorite. We know two things based on reports from Halas Hall:

1. The Bears are going to hire an offensive-minded head coach.
2. Poles is going to lead the search, but team President Kevin Warren will have input, too.

Flores would really have to impress Chicago’s brass with his offensive vision and plan for developing Caleb Williams to become the favorite. The top three candidates are going to be Johnson, Bills OC Joe Brady, and Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury. The Bears will have a distinct advantage because Mike Vrabel will be the most sought-after candidate during this year’s carousel. The Bears could grab their top candidate while Vrabel shops for his next job.

However, Detroit’s potential success in this year’s playoffs could be a detriment in their search. The same could be said for Brady and Kingsbury. Vrabel is available immediately, which also means he’ll get the jump on hiring the best available coaches. Pete Carroll has been linked to Chicago and he’s available immediately, too. Detroit and Buffalo will be favorites to get to the conference championship games, at the very least. If Poles wants Johnson or Brady, he may have to wait until after the Super Bowl.

Johnson will be worth the wait, and here’s why. If he is intrigued by Chicago’s opening, he must also be fascinated to work with Williams. He must also be convinced the Bears are close to competing for the playoffs. How many games have the Bears lost on poor coaching decisions alone? At least four or five this year and the team’s track record isn’t any better in the Matt Eberflus era. Had the Bears not lost that Hail Mary game to Washington and subsequent games in which clock management clearly cost them, they might still be fighting for a playoff spot heading into their final game of the season against Green Bay.

Johnson has two stated requirements for teams wishing to recruit him. The first is alignment between the head coach and the general manager. The second is an ownership group willing to address its weaknesses. In other words, Johnson wants accountability, something desperately lacking at Halas Hall. The easy answer is for the Bears to do something they’ve never done before, which is to hire a president of football operations. It fulfills both requirements. That’s something the McCaskey family has never considered, but if they want to be taken seriously by head coaching candidates, it’s time to prove they are willing to do so.

Poles could assume that position so Chicago could align a new GM with their new head coach. Lance Newmark is one executive who has been connected to Johnson by several sources. Poles has made many great decisions as the Bears’ GM but he’s failed to build competent offensive and defensive lines. That said, he excels at cap management, logistics, analytics, and overall financial strategy. His only fault is he’s a poor pro scout, and he’s probably better suited for a bump up the ladder.

Newmark previously spent 26 years with the Lions. He most recently held the position of senior director of player personnel in Detroit, where he oversaw both college and pro scouting operations during the 2022 and 2023 NFL seasons. He left the Lions to become assistant general manager for the Commanders before this season.

Adding Newmark and Johnson to the organization could be on par with the coup by the Cubs to pair Joe Madden with Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer. It would certainly provide the type of organizational alignment and accountability Johnson is seeking. Culpability goes out the window when the McCaskeys hire contractors like Ernie Accorsi or Bill Polian to conduct coaching searches on their behalf. Neither has any skin in the process beyond the fees they are paid to consult. Poles and Eberflus were the results of their last search, and Eberflus was a disaster. The Bears can’t repeat that process again.

Further, adding Newmark to Johnson puts the GM and the head coach on the same timeline, another rarity for the McCaskeys. One would assume their contracts would also align with the expected tenure of Chicago’s rookie quarterback. Marshaling those three components would be a big step for an organization that repeatedly fails at the basic tenets of continuity. The McCaskeys could then also tie the contracts of Warren and Poles together.

And what do the Bears get with Johnson? This deep dive by Mark Bullock is better than anything I might provide, but I’ll give you the high-level bullet points.

• Johnson is an offensive innovator.
• The ascent of Jared Goff under Johnson has been spectacular.
• Goff has had multiple games this season where he’s completed 80 percent of his pass attempts.
• The Lions’ starting quarterback succeeds with short and intermediate passing plays. Those are also Williams’ strengths.
• Detroit has been an unstoppable force since Johnson took over the offense. They are averaging 33.3 PPG this season. They have also scored 40+ points in six games this season.
• The Lions are 38-20-1 since Johnson assumed playcalling duties halfway through the 2021 season. They were 0-8 when he took over.

Johnson will sell the Bears organization on his vision. He may not have that “leader of men” quality, but Eberflus did, and he still lost the locker room. If Johnson’s hired, it’ll happen with buy-in into how he plans to build his own program. The Bears are where the Cubs were in 2011 when they hired Epstein. Restructuring the front office while promoting Poles will get them Johnson and Newmark. I believe all parties involved will agree to that plan, so I have high hopes for Chicago’s long-awaited return to playing dominant football. With a new stadium on the line, I can’t see the McCaskeys screwing up an opportunity that is one easy negotiation away.

If, instead, George McCaskey once again turns to Polian and Accorsi, all bets are off. It’s rare that the easiest decision is also the right decision. Johnson is everything but gift-wrapped. I’ll hate myself if I’m wrong, but I believe McCaskey, Warren, and Poles will get this right and hire Johnson while agreeing to his requirements. Imagine the Bears with a real NFL front office and coaching staff. I’m giddy just thinking about it.