The Green Bay Packers won’t see Mike McCarthy back in the NFC North, but a familiar foe is staying inside the division and heading to Chicago. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Bears are finalizing the hire of Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as the team’s new head coach.
McCarthy, the former Packers coach, interviewed with the Bears and was viewed as one of the front runners for the job. But Chicago is going with Johnson, who has been one of the hottest coaching candidates in the NFL over the past few seasons and is now ready to leave Detroit after a disappointing playoff exit.
The Lions lost as the No. 1 seed in the NFC Divisional Round, giving Johnson the freedom to agree to any head-coaching job offer. He chose to stay inside the NFC North, meaning the Packers will continue to face him twice a season.
Under Johnson, the Lions ranked in the top 10 for scoring offense during each of the last three seasons and finished first in scoring in 2024. Detroit was 5-1 in games against the Packers with Johnson as the offensive coordinator.
The question now becomes: Can Johnson — one of the NFL’s best play designers — and 2024 first overall pick Caleb Williams come together to revive the Bears?
Chicago finished 5-12 this past season. The Bears started 4-2 but lost 10 straight games, and coach Matt Eberflus was fired at 4-8. Interim coach Thomas Brown went 1-4 to finish. The Bears have been to the postseason just twice (2018, 2020) and don’t have a playoff win since the Packers won the NFC Championship Game in Chicago during the 2010 season.
However, the Bears beat the Packers in the 2024 season finale — ending the 10-game losing streak overall and the 11-game losing streak in the rivalry — and have now landed the top coaching candidate this cycle.