Ben Johnson Reveals Previously Untold Reason He Took Bears Job

Taking the Chicago Bears job was not something people around the NFL expected from Ben Johnson. He was the most highly touted coaching candidate of the past two cycles. Usually, high-profile franchises with either stupidly rich or young owners lure guys like him in. Chicago is run by an old-school family that believes in deep-set traditions. The fit didn't make much sense. Still, Johnson took the job anywhere. The reasons given at the time weren't hard to understand. It allowed him to work with Caleb Williams, one of the most talented QB prospects in recent memory. Also, it allowed Johnson to embrace a city he'd grown to love in recent years, having visited frequently in the summers to attend Cubs games.

However, there was another reason. It isn't what you'd call logical. There is an almost primal element to it. Johnson wanted to take the Bears' job because it was challenging. Chicago has long been a place where coaches struggle. Everybody not named Lovie Smith over the past 30 years can attest to that. Johnson admitted to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune that this was also why he took the job. He wanted that pressure.

“To me, that’s the appeal of this job,” he told the Tribune earlier this month. “You don’t do this because it’s easy. You want a passionate fan base. You want to do this around people who love this game as much as you do.”

Ben Johnson is a challenge-taker. Guys like that thrive in Chicago.

A challenge-taker is somebody who seeks out the most demanding situations to test their mettle. They want the ball with two minutes to go. They want to take the final shot. Bottom of the ninth on a 3-2 count in the World Series? They want the bat in their hands. Michael Jordan was that type of player. Patrick Kane was that type of player. Ricard Dent was that type of player. Guys like that are just wired differently. They seem to give a twisted sense of satisfaction whenever confronted with a roadblock. Ben Johnson is built that way. He is a natural-born grinder who has conquered every obstacle through hard work. That has given him a self-confidence that is impossible to miss. Where most see the Bears as a derelict ship floating aimlessly in the ocean, he sees a sleeping beast that can become the terror of the seas once brought up to standard.