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The NFL coaching carousel is accelerating.
The Bears have reached an agreement with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be their new head coach, according to multiple reports.
The 38-year-old Johnson has arguably been the hottest coordinator on the market for two straight cycles, and now he has landed his first head coaching job in Chicago.
Johnson became a coveted candidate for his work revitalizing Jared Goff inside a creative Detroit offense. Now the Bears will be desperate for him to develop 2023 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams into a star.
His Lions were eliminated by the Washington Commanders on Saturday night, freeing up Chicago to hire him immediately. Teams interested in interviewing candidates under contract with the four remaining teams face some restrictions with those coaches until after the Super Bowl.
Raiders minority owner Tom Brady made a hard sell to Johnson, and was careful to never mention the coordinator’s name on the Fox broadcast Saturday night.
The Bears were also reportedly interested in Mike McCarthy, and were compliant with the NFL’s Rooney Rule after interviewing Ron Rivera and Eddie George in person.
With Johnson filling the Bears opening, five jobs are still open: the Raiders, Cowboys, Jets, Saints, and Jaguars. Johnson’s colleague in Detroit, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, could be the next name off the board, with a Jets interview scheduled for Tuesday.
