The Bears made a big financial commitment to land Ben Johnson as their new head coach. From the start, there were doubts about whether they would be willing to pay the high price required to secure him or if they would opt for a more budget-friendly option. However, credit goes to George McCaskey for stepping up and making the investment without hesitation.
The Bears leadership faced heavy scrutiny before and during the coaching search, but in the end, they secured the top candidate on the market. According to reports, Johnson has signed a five-year, $65 million contract, earning $13 million per year. Additionally, ESPN reports that GM Ryan Poles is expected to receive a contract extension to align with Johnson's deal.
With these figures in mind, let’s take a look at where Johnson’s contract ranks among NFL head coaches.
Top 10 highest-paid NFL coaches by annual salary:
1. Andy Reid - $20M
2. Sean Payton - $18M
3. Mike Tomlin - $16M
3. Jim Harbaugh - $16M
5. Sean McVay - $15M
6. Kyle Shanahan - $14M
7. Ben Johnson - $13M
8. John Hargbaugh - $12M
9. Dan Campbell - $11M
10. Sean McDermott - $11M
Credit to George McCaskey. Opened the check book and never looked back https://t.co/Fz6jvY3cLK
— Dave (@dave_bfr) February 3, 2025
The Bears have made Ben Johnson one of the NFL’s ten highest-paid coaches before he has even coached his first game. This demonstrates both their confidence in him and their commitment to turning things around. Reports suggest that new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is earning around $12 million per year, though this has not been confirmed. Regardless, Johnson is being paid big time money for a first time head coach, and if he delivers as the Bears hope, his contract could end up looking like a bargain.
