The Bears are finalizing a deal to make Ben Johnson their new HC, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Johnson has been one of the hottest names in coaching circles for a couple of years now. He's helped the Lions to three straight top-5 finishes in both points and total yards. Detroit ranked seventh in offensive DVOA in 2022, fifth in 2023, and third this past year. Johnson had plenty of talent work with on those Lions teams but maximized that talent with creative and effective play calling. This will be his first go as a HC.
The Bears just got a huge upgrade in offensive play calling. OC Shane Waldron deployed a stale offense prior to getting fired in mid-November. It didn't get much better under Thomas Brown.
Johnson inherits an offense with plenty of talent. QB Caleb Williams was relatively disappointing as a rookie but certainly flashed his combination of elite arm talent and plus mobility. RB D'Andre Swift, WRs D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, and TE Cole Kmet are all under contract for at least two more seasons.
The offensive line remains a problem spot in Chicago right now. We'll see what the team does to address it this offseason. But we'd also expect Johnson's scheme to help mask some of the inefficiencies.
The Bears will be a popular breakout offense in fantasy drafts this summer -- and rightfully so. We'll see where all of these guys' ADPs settle.
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