‘Nightmarish’ Bears Decision May Hurt Ben Johnson and Help the Lions

It’s beyond time to move on from the coordinators who left the Detroit Lions during the offseason to snag their first head coaching gigs, but man, it’s hard ont at least look at what’s going on with these former Lions staffers. Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, of course, packed his bags and went to the Chicago Bears as soon as the Lions’ 2024-25 season wrapped up.

While it didn’t feel great to see Johnson part with the Lions and end up going to one of the team’s biggest rivals, it’s hard to fault the guy. He’s just doing what he thinks will be best for his NFL career. But, that doesn’t mean we have to totally wish him well. Let’s face it: The worse the Bears do this upcoming season, the better it will be for the Lions, since they’re both in the NFC North.

Now, the Lions are coming up on their 2025-26 NFL season, and things are starting to get real. While it’s best to see good things happen with the Lions, it feels kind of good to see Johnson get some slack for a decision that was made during the offseason that could come back to bite the Chicago Bears.

Move Could Be Problematic for the Bears, Good for the Lions

Johnson is expected to really bring the best out of the Chicago Bears this season, including quarterback Caleb Williams. But, the season hasn’t even started yet, so it’s early to assume that he’ll deliver.

In a piece published on Friday, July 11, by SideLion Report, Matt Sidney points out one key decision that could hurt the Bears. He even calls it an “absurd” decision.

When it comes to the upcoming Bears season, the team, of course, is hoping that “Johnson’s brilliant offensive mind would help unlock Williams and his uber-talented arm in the hopes Chicago becomes relevant once again,” Sidney notes. “Well, that dream just got a lot more nightmarish.”

On Friday, July 11, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears have come to terms on a five-year contract extension that keeps him with the team through 2029. Sidney thinks this decision is really a bad one for Chicago.

“It’s worth remembering this is the same front office that stuck with former head coach Matt Eberflus long past the point of diminishing returns, despite back-to-back seasons where the team looked completely out of sync,” he notes in the feature, adding that the “leash lasted far longer than it should have” and that Johnson is finding himself in “the same environment, under the same decision-maker, with the same problems still lingering beneath the surface.”

Ben Johnson is Stuck With More of the Same

So, in general, this just shows that Johnson is likely going to be stuck with more of the same from Chicago. He’s supposed to change a bunch of things and make this team great, but he might not have all the power to do so.

“Johnson was supposed to be a breath of fresh air,” Sidney notes, and the person to “develop a No. 1 overall pick without interference,” but he’s “tied to a GM who’s spent the last three years chasing his own tail, squandering resources, and setting expectations he couldn’t meet.”

If Johnson isn’t able to overcome the Bears’ internal issues, it’s only going to be a good thing for the Lions and the other NFC North teams.