LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is expected to be a coveted head coaching candidate for vacancies around the NFL, and the Bears are certainly intrigued.
The Bears on Monday submitted a formal request to interview Johnson, according to reports. The team can conduct a virtual meeting with Johnson starting Wednesday. Johnson is an appealing candidate for the Bears in large part because of what he could mean for 23-year-old quarterback Caleb Williams.
In facing the Lions twice this season and following from afar as well, Williams has been impressed by Johnson's work. The Lions led the NFL in scoring offense and were second in total offense in the 2024 regular season.
"It's been really cool to watch,” Williams said. “During our games, I would sit back and just kind of watch and try to learn something while I watch. It was fascinating to watch because he always has wrinkles for counters and things like that throughout the game. I think he's obviously done really well. It would be cool to see how that all goes down."
Williams threw for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions in starting all 17 games as a rookie. He did so despite instability around him, as the Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Nov. 12 and head coach Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29.
Williams has admitted he had a challenging first season in the NFL, in large part due to the Bears’ struggles in their 5-12 season. But he sees the lessons as a valuable resource.
“I knew there was going to be a lot that I had to learn in a fast amount of time to be able to go out there and play and try and play well, play efficient football and try and win games,” Williams said. “I knew there was going to be a tremendous amount. There’s still a tremendous amount. I’m really excited about that. There’s many things throughout the season that I didn’t know or didn’t do well.
“To be able to have the time now to go back and look at myself, look at other QBs, the way they’ve done it and then also just sit down and get in the books and learn some of the things that I didn’t know throughout the year, some of the things that I really want to know by next year to be able to help the team.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on X @CEmma670.