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Last season, the Chicago Bears were dead last in the NFC North at 5-12. One season later, they hired Ben Johnson as head coach and are the NFC North champions.
Also, the Bears defeated their rivals, the Green Bay Packers, 31-27 in the NFC Wild Card last Saturday. On Monday, ESPN’s NFL Insider Marcus Spears heaped praise on Johnson for dramatically turning things around in Chicago, per ESPN.
“This is one of the best jobs, since I’ve been here at this network, that I’ve seen a coach do with a team and changing the psychology of the team,” he said.
"This is one of the best jobs, since I've been here at this network, that I've seen a coach do with a team and changing the psychology of the team."
—Marcus Spears on HC Ben Johnson having the Bears ahead of schedule pic.twitter.com/OhMXVFM3sV
— ESPN (@espn) January 12, 2026
Before joining the Bears, Johnson was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. From 2019 to 2024, he wore many hats, including offensive quality control coach, tight ends coach, and passing game coordinator.
He also served as an assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins from 2012 to 2018. Johnson got his start in coaching while serving as a graduate assistant and later as the tight ends coach at Boston College from 2009 to 2011.
The previous Chicago head coach was Matt Eberflus, who was fired the week of Thanksgiving 2024.
After defeating the Packers, the Bears are now 12-6. On Sunday, they will face off against the LA Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.
Since becoming head coach, Johnson has brought out the best in the team. That has especially been the case for Caleb Williams. He has thrown for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns, a pass completion rate of 58.1%, and a QB rating of 90.1.
From the jump, Johnson made it a point to focus on developing Williams into a top-tier QB. The same holds for De’Andre Swift.
He now has a career high of 1,087 rushing yards as well as nine touchdowns. Furthermore, Johnson has become a popular figure with the fans.
His shirtless celebration, which led to a free hot dog giveaway at Weiner’s Circle, made him loved. However, his “F** the Packers” statement made him worshipped.
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