Ben Johnson shares his impression of Caleb Williams amid the Bears’ coaching announcement

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will be the hottest coaching candidate this offseason. After leading a dynamic offense that is No. 1 in the NFL in scoring this season and revitalizing the career of quarterback Jared Goff, Johnson has been dubbed the next “offensive guru.”

Johnson was already a top coaching candidate last season but decided to return to Detroit in 2024 to take care of “unfinished business” with a Lions team that narrowly reached the Super Bowl a season ago. Johnson has turned down a head coaching job in each of the previous two seasons, but maintains that he is “fired up” to eventually become a head coach.

Should Johnson decide to take a head coaching job this offseason, he could theoretically become the head coach of the Chicago Bears – who have a vacancy following the firing of Matt Eberflus earlier this season. The Bears are widely considered to have the best opening in the league this season. They have a roster with a lot of talent and, most importantly, a franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams. For Chicago, Johnson would be the ideal coach to improve the offense and maximize Williams’ skills.

When asked about Williams on Thursday, Johnson acknowledged the talent of the Bears’ rookie signal-caller.

“It was difficult to sit down and study every throw, but … there’s no doubt this guy is talented,” Johnson said on 97.1 The Ticket. “I remember last game (against the Bears) and you standing on the sideline.” can hear the ball whizzing past you. He has a pretty fast ball, is creative, can extend plays and is also precise on the field.

“Like I said, I didn’t really get into it and can’t tell you much else beyond that, but he was impressive from a distance.”

Although Johnson has seen Williams’ talent firsthand – particularly when Williams threw three touchdowns against Detroit on Thanksgiving – Johnson maintains he is focused on his current season with the Lions and their upcoming playoff run.

“I have an obligation to the people in the building to be exactly where I am,” Johnson said of Detroit. “When I come in and see the coaches staying late nights and working as hard as they are, and I come in and see the players attacking like they are every day in the meeting room and on the practice field, it’s hard for me go far beyond what we do in the here and now.”

Johnson is expected to interview with several teams after the regular season, but he won’t have a chance to participate in Chicago’s (or any other team’s) opener until the Lions’ season is over.