INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (670 The Score) — Lions head coach Dan Campbell believes the key to success in his position is hiring the right individuals on his staff.
Campbell has led the Lions to success thanks in large part to the assistants he has installed, such as former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. When the Bears hired Johnson as their new head coach in January after he worked for Campbell for the past four years, Campbell shared that as his advice.
Johnson then built a new Bears coaching staff that caught Campbell’s attention.
“He’s built an outstanding coaching staff from the guys that I know personally,” Campbell said Tuesday at the NFL Combine. “Certainly, I worked with (Dennis Allen), Dan Roushar, a number of guys over there that I think are really good coaches. Look, it’s going to be different to see him there on the other sideline since he’s been on ours for four years. That’ll be different. But that’s the way this game works.”
The 38-year-old Johnson was the Lions’ offensive coordinator for the last three years, and he guided a unit that led the NFL in scoring in 2024. Now, he’s leading a division rival in the Bears.
As the Lions built one of the top rosters in the NFL, Johnson's voice was a key part of the team's personnel decisions, Campbell said. Detroit sent eight players to the Pro Bowl in 2024, including six on offense.
“He’s got a good eye for what he’s looking for, guys he thinks can play a certain role for us,” Campbell said. “I think he and I saw things very much alike, so that helps. But he’s got a good eye for those things. Certainly, he didn’t lack input on players he liked or what he saw, what he thought they could do. Just like everyone else on our staff – if they got a vision for a guy and they believe in him, speak up. And he was one of those guys who did it.”
Bears general manager Ryan Poles intends to lean on Johnson’s influence as Chicago has entered a pivotal offseason. The Bears have around $75 million in salary cap space as free agency looms in several weeks, and they also hold the No. 10 overall pick and a pair of second-round selections in the NFL Draft.
The Bears have set their sights on having sustained success in the NFC North, a division that had three playoff teams in the 2024 season. The Lions led the way by going 15-2 to win their second straight division crown, and they remain the standard that the Bears must chase.
“Listen, he’s still my friend,” Campbell said of Johnson. “I love him dearly. But we’re going to have to play him twice a year.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.