The Bears made a wildly popular decision by hiring Ben Johnson to be their next Head Coach. Is the Poles – Warren – McCaskey group turning the corner?
For the last 18 hours, I have racked my brain in search for any other Chicago Bears decision that meets the following criteria:
- Obvious best choice.
- Required our front office to outbid other franchises.
- Fans faith that his decision would actually happen was extremely low.
There isn’t a head coaching decision that I can recall meeting this criteria. The closest I have come to was the signing of Julius Peppers, who was a highly sought-after free agent in 2010 when the Bears landed him. Even so, he was 30 years old and only bolstered an already talented defense.
Ben Johnson, being the most sought-after OC candidate since Kyle Shanahan, feels different. The Bears already have their franchise quarterback, and the idea of pairing him with a young, well-respected wunderkind in Ben Johnson seemed inconsistent with the Bears’ history of defensive orientation and disappointing decision-making.
But here we are. Ben Johnson is a Bear. Caleb Williams is a Bear. A pairing that seemed far-fetched only two years ago when Luke Getsy was writing the script for Justin Fields.
Is this a sign of maturity in the Bears organization? Is their much-maligned process making progress?
So Bears fans, I have to know: Does the hiring of Ben Johnson change your opinion of Ryan Poles, Kevin Warren, and George McCaskey?
For me, I am not giving them a parade yet – more of a pat on the back. This feels like a departure from the two HC types we have hired since Lovie left town.
One was the “smartest guy in the room hire.” This includes the hiring of Marc Trestman, the former CFL Head Coach who flamed out as a leader of men. It also includes Matt Nagy, who may have had experience learning from Andy Reid, he lacked real experience calling plays for an NFL offense, and it showed.
The other was the “tough guy, leader of men, culture reset hire.” This has alternated with the previous type after it has been recognized that these out-of-the-box offensive minds lacked other intangibles. This, of course, includes John Fox, the coach famous for his determination to recreate a Bronko Nagurski style of offense. The other was Matt Eberflus who may have been a great leader in every aspect but knowing how to lead his team to victory.
This hire, a coach who has shown to be an excellent playcaller, who has the respect of his team, who comes from a successful stint in a historically unsuccessful place, feels different.
If Ben Johnson signals a working relationship with Poles and ownership where there is a serious investment in the trenches, then I will give them two pats on the back.
If it leads to a playoff berth, and perhaps even a playoff win – I’ll throw a pizza party.
If it leads to a victory that hasn’t been seen since 1/26/1986 – then give ‘em a parade.
My opinion is actively shifting now that they were able to land Ben Johnson, but I want to see a few more sound decisions before we fully let them off the hook.