From the moment that Ben Johnson accepted the offer to become the next head coach of the Chicago Bears, many have wondered why Johnson, who was thriving in such a cushy situation with the Detroit Lions, was so keen on taking the job with the Bears and seemingly no other teams, despite there being interest all around the NFL.
To be fair, there were various possible and plausible answers to this question. The most common one was that Johnson saw the MVP potential in Caleb Williams and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work alongside one of the most naturally gifted quarterbacks to come in the NFL in quite some time. Plus, the city is absolutely stunning and the food scene is second to none… what more did Ben Johnson need to hear?
During a recent appearance on the Mully & Haugh Show, Ben Johnson provided the actual explanation for his decision, revealing that one of the biggest reasons he was so eager to stay in the NFC North and coach the Chicago Bears was because of the front office that was already in place in the Windy City.
“The best part of this particular situation I walked into, I was talking to Ryan (Poles) about it the other day, a lot of the structure was already in place,” Johnson said during the interview. “From great ownership to Kevin Warren at President, to Ryan, there’s a lot of things that I might’ve struggled with if I was with a first-time GM and we’re both finding our way. Ryan, naturally, he’s helped so much, it’s really a good thing that he’s been around and been helpful that way.”
The Somewhat Confusing Ben Johnson-Ryan Poles Relationship
What’s interesting about this statement that Ben Johnson made was that it directly contradicts much of the reporting that was being done in the weeks leading up to his arrival in Chicago. For those who don’t remember, this is how it went…
After Ryan Poles finally made the decision to take Matt Eberflus out behind the barn and put him out of his misery, it was the worst-kept secret in the NFL that there was mutual interest between the Bears and Ben Johnson. Even as the season was ongoing, it was assumed that once the season ended, the Bears would be reaching out to Johnson, and that Johnson would be eager to hear the Bears out.
But then there were rumblings that if Johnson were to leave Detroit, it would be for a job where he could “implement his vision.” Many fans and analysts read between the lines and assumed that this meant Johnson wanted to eventually land in a situation where he and a general manager came as a package deal. What that meant for Ryan Poles was unclear, but the popular assumption was that it couldn’t have been good.
The Bears however gave no indication that they were looking to part ways with Ryan Poles. On-field struggles aside, it was impossible to dispute that Poles had done a spectacular job improving Chicago’s standing in the league, especially when compared the situation to the mess he had inherited three years prior.
But the problem here was that the rumors that Johnson would eventually push for Poles to be ousted had seemingly gotten back to Chicago, and when Poles claimed that the Bears would “cast a wide net” with “some names that you don’t expect” ahead of the start of their coaching search, it led many to believe that Poles would pass on the best candidate out of fear that he would end up on the hot seat himself.
In the end, it all proved to be unnecessarily dramatic. The Bears got the guy that the fanbase wanted for maybe the first time ever. And even though Ryan Poles has since admitted that he wasn’t sold on Ben Johnson right out of the gate, it would appear that this is going to end up being the correct move for all parties involved.
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