Hot Take Tuesday: Ben [Expletive] Johnson

The incoherent ramblings of a belligerent Bears fan.

They did it. They really did it.

The Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson. They reeled in the big fish. They did what they had to do.

I’m floored.

I’ll add one other note: I was wrong.

When the regular season ended and things lined up for the Chicago Bears coaching search, I looked at the situation. I said the Bears were going to get Ben Johnson as long as Mike Vrabel took the New England Patriots job because there was simply no way he was going to take the Jacksonville Jaguars job once they retained GM Trent Baalke.

The one thing I didn’t account for was the Las Vegas Raiders. They had no quarterback and no clear path to a quarterback. There was just no way Ben Johnson was going to take that job, right?

Initial thought: If Ben Johnson wants the most money possible from his new employer, it would be wise to convince the Bears that you were interested in going to the franchise whose owner, Mark Davis, pays coaches a hefty price if he wants to hire them (see Gruden, Jon).

We will learn in the coming days if the interest in the Raiders job was legitimate. Tom Brady sold Ben Johnson hard. And then something happened. The smoke began to billow. Most of the national (and local) media, started hearing the same thing I heard: not only was the Raiders' interest legitimate, they were most likely going to land Ben Johnson.

After the Detroit Lions were upset in the playoffs, suddenly the path was cleared for a team to hire Ben Johnson. The Bears wasted no time and they had their man before he even stepped foot in Halas Hall.

Was it smoke? Was the interest legit? Does it even matter? Ben Johnson is the head coach of the Chicago Bears.

I’ve never been more happy to be wrong.

Here’s something I haven’t said in a while, all three men in the front office should be applauded.

Ryan Poles went out and got his man. He has been targeting Ben Johnson since before the regular season even ended. He recruited the best possible coach for Caleb Williams and has a tandem that could become an all-time great duo.

The numbers on Johnson’s contract haven’t been specifically reported but they are huge. The total money committed to Johnson is more than double the Bears have ever committed to a head coach in the history of the franchise. More than double. George McCaskey opened the team’s wallet and did what had to be done.

Finally, Kevin Warren. Warren likes to aim big, and Ben Johnson is aiming big. Warren said he was going to come in here and start having the Chicago Bears operate like the marquee franchise that they are and not a Mom & Pop shop like they have been in the past. Warren has changed the thinking at Halas Hall. They fired Matt Eberflus in season and...