An Unsung Hero Helped Lure Ben Johnson To Chicago

Ben Johnson wanted to become the Chicago Bears' head coach. That had become true going back to 2023. He regularly took his family to Cubs games and fell in love with the atmosphere the city brought to its sporting events. He'd hoped the head coaching job would open last season, but the Bears opted to give Matt Eberflus another year. That didn't work out. Once the position opened up, Johnson knew he was interested. However, he didn't intend to jump in blind. So, he started gathering information.

He needed to know more about the organization and its inner workings. Talking to GM Ryan Poles was a key part of that, but it would be nice if it came from somebody more familiar. That is where his agent, Rick Smith, came to the rescue. According to Albert Breer of the MMQB, he put Johnson in touch with a former client of his who just so happened to work in the Bears front office.

And then, third, there was Johnson’s own research. It helped Smith and Johnson having Jeff King, the Bears’ senior director of player personnel, and the No. 3 guy in Poles’s scouting department (behind Ian Cunningham and Poles himself), as a sounding board. King was repped by Smith as a player, and gave the agent and his client perspective for the amount of change in the building—and the big steps being made to modernize the operation.

Jeff King helping land Ben Johnson earns him folk hero status.

The Bears' director of player personnel already had a growing reputation, thanks to his April trade with Buffalo, which helped land Austin Booker. Most believe he is the heir apparent to Ian Cunningham as assistant GM whenever he ends up landing a general manager job elsewhere. Poles trusts him implicitly. Whatever it was he told Ben Johnson during their communication was what the coach needed to hear. The interview last week eased any lingering doubts. After that meeting, the decision was made. He wanted the Bears job.

Nobody knows what the future holds for Johnson. He is a highly regarded play-caller on offense, which means he should be able to elevate Caleb Williams at quarterback. Whether he can be a locker room leader is unknown. He feels he's ready. King didn't seem to mind lending him a hand, knowing from the Bears' own research that he was one of the top candidates. If this works out, the young exec may never have to buy a beer in Chicago again.