Ben Johnson’s reported head coach requirements not-so-subtly called out the Bears

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is obviously going to be one of the hottest head coaching candidates this upcoming cycle.

However, it sounds like he’s not going to approach the process without explicit intent for where his future might be and what he wants out of a potential franchise.

Ahead of Detroit’s Thursday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer detailed how Johnson intends to approach this upcoming process.

One of the reported requirements for Johnson makes you think about an NFL team in Chicago with a Bear mascot, a rising star at quarterback, a head coaching vacancy and a recent history of poor decisions.

“He’ll be looking for a recognition from the organization of the things that have gone wrong and a willingness to fix them,” Breer said in his update of Johnson’s hopes in finding his next team.

.@AlbertBreer has the latest on the interest in the Lions coaching staff. pic.twitter.com/qA4ivk5MGw

— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) December 6, 2024

The chance to work with quarterback Caleb Williams and inherit a roster with young talent on both sides of the ball makes sense for an offensive-minded coach like Johnson.

However, it makes sense, whether it’s the Bears or another team, Johnson would want them to promise not to make the same mistakes that landed them in a head coaching search.

We’ll see what happens, but these are curiously specific requirements from Johnson about where he might land next.