The Green Bay Packers won’t see Mike McCarthy back in the NFC North, but a familiar opponent remains in the division heading to Chicago. According to Adam Schefter of ESPNThe Bears are finalizing the hiring of Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as the team’s recent head coach.
McCarthy, the former Packers coach, interviewed with the Bears and was seen as one of the top candidates for the job. However, Chicago selects Johnson, who has been one of the NFL’s hottest coaching candidates over the past few seasons and is now ready to leave Detroit after a disappointing playoff exit.
The Lions lost as the No. 1 seed in the NFC divisional round, which left Johnson free to say yes to any head coaching job offer. He chose to remain in the NFC North, which means the Packers will continue to face him twice per season.
Under Johnson, the Lions have finished in the top 10 in scoring offense in each of the last three seasons and finished first in scoring in 2024. Detroit was 5-1 against the Packers and Johnson was the offensive coordinator.
Now the question becomes: Can Johnson – one of the best play designers in the NFL – and 2024 first overall pick Caleb Williams team up to revitalize the Bears?
Chicago finished last season with a record of 5-12. The Bears started 4-2 but lost 10 straight games and coach Matt Eberflus was fired after going 4-8. Interim coach Thomas Brown finished the match with a score of 1-4. The Bears have made the postseason just twice (2018, 2020) and haven’t had a playoff victory since the Packers won the NFC Championship Game in Chicago in the 2010 season.
However, the Bears defeated the Packers in the 2024 season finale, ending a streak of 10 overall and 11 competitive losses, and have now landed the top coaching candidate this cycle.
