Going into the 2025 head coach carousel, most experts agreed that two names would drive the market. One was former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, and the other was Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Vrabel already took the open job with the New England Patriots, shocking nobody. Now Johnson is the one everybody is watching. He is the domino that will likely get every other job moving. The problem is nobody knows where he will go, due in large part to him not being available yet. That won't happen until Detroit is eliminated from the playoffs or after the Super Bowl.
Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado updated the Irish Bears Show on the Johnson situation. First, things are far from decided. The coach is entirely focused on the Lions' playoff run. However, based on what he's heard to this point, expectations are that his choice is down to two teams: the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders.
Ben Johnson is weighing his options carefully.
The arguments for both sides seem straightforward. Las Vegas has Tom Brady doing the recruiting. Few have more gravitas and mystique than the seven-time Super Bowl champion. The Raiders also have a vacant GM slot, meaning they could hire somebody Johnson knows. Lastly, it's believed they are prepared to pay him a massive contract. In contrast, the Bears have Caleb Williams, a talented roster, plenty of resources to improve it even further, and also seem willing to spend the money.
The crux of the issue is GM Ryan Poles. He is unfamiliar with Ben Johnson, which leads to questions about whether they share the same personnel vision. Team president Kevin Warren, who many wonder might be prone to interfering in football decisions, is also an unknown. If the Bears can assuage his concerns on this issue, their chances of landing him should go up. If Detroit loses this weekend to the Commanders, answers should be forthcoming within the next week.
