The Chicago Bears have been connected with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in their search for a new head coach, but Cleveland Browns consultant Mike Vrabel, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury have also been mentioned as “names to watch.”
Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided the scoop on Saturday.
“One name that is expected to be part of the process: coveted Lions OC Ben Johnson, who is intrigued by the job and is going to listen,” Pelissero and Rapoport wrote.
“But the Bears aren’t locked in on anything yet. They want someone who embodies the city of Chicago at a critical time for the franchise to set itself up for years to come. Other names to watch include: Mike Vrabel, Vikings DC Brian Flores and Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury, among many others.”
The Bears need a new head coach after parting ways with Matt Eberflus following a 4-8 start. The team has since fallen to 4-12 after an 0-4 run under interim coach Thomas Brown. And so a once-promising 4-2 start has since fallen by the wayside after a 10-game losing streak.
The 2024 campaign has been nothing short of a tremendous disappointment for a Bears team that had the talent to perform better.
On offense, Chicago sports a franchise quarterback in No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams alongside a formidable quartet of pass-catchers in wideouts DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze as well as tight end Cole Kmet. The Bears also used their top draft pick in 2023 on offensive tackle Darnell Wright.
Over the past two years, Chicago has invested a lot in the defense. The Bears spent big money in free agency to add linebackers Tremaine Edmunds ($72 million) and T.J. Edwards ($19.5 million). They also traded for Washington Commanders edge-rusher Montez Sweat and signed him to a $98 million extension. The Bears also re-signed cornerback Jaylon Johnson to a $76 million deal and added DeMarcus Walker on a $21 million deal.
It hasn’t materialized into wins, with the team bottoming out this year.
Simply put, the Bears need a head coach who can mold all this talent and get them playing to their potential. The roster looks playoff-capable as currently assembled, and a new head coach certainly be the answer here.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who currently oversees the top-scoring unit in the league, could certainly be the answer. The same goes for Vrabel, the ex-Tennessee Titans head coach who led them to an AFC Championship Game appearance in 2019 and back-to-back AFC South titles in 2020 and 2021.
Kingsbury has phenomenal in Washington, helping turning around an offense that was 25th in scoring last year into the No. 4 offense this year behind rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. And Flores leads a ferocious defense in Minnesota that’s third in scoring.
Chicago certainly has plenty of solid coaching options available, but the eventual choice will have the pressure on him early to succeed given the roster in place.
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