Ben Johnson is the heavily favored candidate for the next Chicago Bears head coach if you ask most fans. It isn’t hard to see why. When a guy posts a top-five offense in three consecutive years for the Detroit Lions, it’s hard not to take notice. Yet the true depths of what makes Johnson such an impressive candidate boils down to what he is accomplishing with Jared Goff. People will assume that is an odd take, considering Goff was always a good quarterback. Johnson isn’t doing anything special.
That only reveals the lack of context. Yes, in 2017 and 2018, Goff was excellent, making two Pro Bowls and leading the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl. However, things crumbled in 2019 and 2020. Goff threw 42 touchdowns and 29 interceptions for an 88.1 passer rating. Head coach Sean McVay, one of the best offensive minds in the game, thought he’d peaked and traded for Matthew Stafford. Johnson proved him wrong. Since the two came together in 2022, Goff has thrown 89 touchdowns to 29 interceptions for a 101.8 passer rating.
Johnson somehow made him better than McVay, a future Hall of Famer, did.
That is why people should be excited about the prospect of pairing him with Caleb Williams. The man took a quarterback everybody thought was used up and made him better than ever. Chicago’s young #1 pick has even more talent to work with. Not to mention the same drive and determination as Goff. Putting them together feels like it would be a treat to watch, especially if the Bears can shore up their offensive line. Alas, this organization doesn’t have the best track record for doing the logical thing. Maybe, just maybe it will be different this time. One can only hope the two sides make the right impression on each other. History says something will give somebody cold feet. If the stars align, Ben Johnson might be the perfect choice
