It was a very rough year for the Chicago Bears and Chairman George McCaskey, but the hiring of Ben Johnson as coach gives fans reason for optimism.

Two days before he was announced as the Chicago Bears head coach, Ben Johnson coached in the NFC Divisional Round as the Detroit Lions took on the Washington Commanders. Tom Brady was on the call for FOX,

Las Vegas parted ways with the first-year coach-GM tandem of Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco earlier this month, and the “allure” of Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, was said to have helped the Raiders become an enticing option for Johnson, 38.

The Bears had targeted Johnson as their top candidate since firing head coach Matt Eberflus the day after Thanksgiving. They were convinced that his play-calling acumen and leadership skills were a perfect pairing with quarterback Caleb Williams and the rest of the Bears’ roster.

With Matt Eberflus returning to Chicago in 2025, here's how the Bears have fared when facing their past head coaches as either head coaches or coordinators after they departed Chicago.

Perhaps this is why McCaskey believed the Bears were the most attractive franchise for any potential head coach. Chicago has won nine NFL championships, but only two since the conclusion of the 1946 season. Those came in 1963 and 1985.

Matt Eberflus hollers out instructions in his final Bears game, the loss at Ford Field to the Detroit Lions. David Reginek-Imagn Images Matt Eberflus is back in the Big D and has a showdown with Bears

Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey gets a rare ‘W’ with the hiring of Ben Johnson as the franchise's next coach.

CHICAGO — A month ago, Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey sat through a ... Even the justifiable firing of former coach Matt Eberflus resulted in a black eye for Bears management, which ...

A month ago, Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey sat through a nightmarish ... Even the justifiable firing of former coach Matt Eberflus resulted in a black eye for Bears management, which ...

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Ben Johnson made one of the first big moves of his Chicago Bears coaching tenure this week when he hired former Oakland Raiders and New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen to be his defensive coordinator.