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Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was the hottest name on the NFL head coach cycle this year, and was expected to have his pick of the available jobs. On Monday, he accepted the offer from the Chicago Bears to be the team’s next head coach.
The Bears knew they had to outbid some other teams for his services. Outbid them they did, as Ben Johnson got a fat contract that will make him higher-paid than 2024’s best free agent signing.
Johnson, 38, has been a star as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions over the past three years, and has turned them into the best unit of football. The Lions were the most creative offense in the league under Ben Johnson, while also being fantastic at the little things, too. Whether it was through the air or on the ground, they moved the ball effectively.
Now, he’s heading to a franchise that has never had a 4,000-yard passer, and has been offensively challenged for decades. He’s got pieces in Chicago, including a franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams, and on paper it seems like it’s a perfect fit.
As I said, they had to outbid some teams, and the paid a pretty penny for Ben Johnson. Here’s Pro Football Talk with more.
We set the over/under at $14.5 million per year. That might have been high. But not by much.
The early figure on the NFL grapevine for the Ben Johnson contract in Chicago is $13 million per year.
If true (and one source characterized the figure as “speculation”), it’s a significant bump over the current entry-level number of roughly $8 million annually. But that’s the kind of figure that gets the attention of a guy with choices.
$13 million a year for a first-time head coach is an unprecedented sum. And, if you think about it, it’s slightly more money per year than Saquon Barkley is receiving in his 3-year, $37 million deal with the Eagles. Considering that Barkley may have been the NFL’s best player this year, that’s a huge contract for a coach.
Now, Johnson has to make that deal worth it by winning in Chicago.
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