Remember how happy you were when the Chicago Bears stole the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator?
Remember how happy you were when Ben Johnson, the O.C. in question, signed his five-year, $65 million contract and officially became the 17th head coach in Bears franchise history?
Remember how happy you were daydreaming about a Ben Johnson/Caleb Williams duo dominating the NFL for the next decade?
Well, according to one of ESPN’s top NFL reporters, you should be even happier than that.
Wonderkid
In an interview with Chicago Sports Stuff, ESPN senior writer and the author of the forthcoming book American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback Seth Wickersham explained that considering his innovative work in Detroit, it was inevitable that Johnson would become one of the NFL’s hotter coaching candidates in recent memory.
“Even before Ben Johnson was the, quote, unquote, 'hot name' around the NFL, I heard from really good coaches and really good offensive minds in the league that they were not only studying him, but stealing from him.”
It should be noted that when the Lions promoted Johnson to O.C., he was all of 35-years-old. Which means that experienced NFL coaches who were possibly five, ten, or 15 years older than the native of Charleston, South Carolina were ripping off his plays.
You sure couldn’t say that about anybody on Matt Eberflus’ staff, could you?
Caleb’s Lucky, Too
Wickersham adds that Johnson’s innovative approach will be a massive boon for sophomore quarterback, Caleb Williams:
“Johnson clearly sees something in Caleb, and I think that the thing that I would be really optimistic about as a Bears fan: Everyone's fates are tied. Caleb's success is tied to the head coach's success, and the GM’s {Ryan Poles’] success. Everyone's in the same boat, and I think those are the circumstances and situations that usually end up best.”
All of which is why Bears Nation is the luckiest nation there is.
