Chicago Bears News & Rumors

Lions OC Ben Johnson ‘Deeply Considering’ Bears’ HC Position?

Ben Johnson is free to meet in person with interested teams, something he could do in multiple cases over the coming days. The in-demand Lions offensive coordinator is known to be a key target of the Raiders, Jaguars and Bears.

Vegas is expected to produce a major offer — something which the team does not need to wait for now that the Lions’ season is over — but Jacksonville and Chicago are of course still in the mix until Johnson makes a final call. Reports from last week indicated the 38-year-old is interested in Jacksonville’s opening. The same apparently remains true for Chicago.

Johnson is believed to be “deeply considering” the Bears’ head coaching position, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports. He was among the first candidates to conduct an an initial (virtual) interview with Chicago’s search committee, although that was of course also the case with several other interested teams. Still, it comes as no surprise the Bears’ wide-ranging search has not concluded with Johnson still on the market.

On Monday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell admitted he expects both Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to find one of the six current head coaching vacancies around the league. Johnson will move to schedule second interviews with teams, though The Athletic’s Dianna Russini cautions he is not a lock to meet with all three teams. Those he does huddle up with in person can safely assume the high-profile HC candidate remains interested in an elusive commitment.

The Bears have been in pursuit of Johnson since the fall, and a December report suggested the three-year Lions OC was “intrigued” by this job. Johnson, 38, would be a strong choice to mentor Caleb Williams. Conversely, Williams — who is tied to a rookie contract through at least 2026, creating roster-building opportunities — should be a draw for candidates. The 2024 top pick’s presence separates this job from the Jaguars and Raiders’ openings. Trevor Lawrence is now on a $55MM-per-year deal without having established himself as a surefire franchise-level passer, while the Raiders remain in search of an option at the game’s premier position — and their two late-season wins dropped them to sixth in the draft order.

Johnson remains tied to both his AFC suitors. He may well be the top choice for each of these three HC-needy franchises. With the Commanders knocking off the Lions in the divisional round, this will be an interesting week — from a long-term perspective — for the Bears, Jags and Raiders. The Bears made a last-ditch sales pitch to Mike Vrabel before he committed to the Patriots. Their last chance with Johnson appears to be coming soon.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post

Bears Interview Eddie George For HC Job

As GM Ryan Poles promised at the outset of the Bears’ current head coaching search, the club has been rather thorough in exploring its HC options (as seen in our head coaching search tracker). Chicago is now adding a surprising name to its long list of candidates, as Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that the team is scheduled to interview Eddie George for the position this morning.

Before today, the 51-year-old had only been mentioned in passing in PFR pages. Once one of the top running backs in the collegiate and professional ranks, George’s illustrious playing career ended in 2003, and while he was with the Bears during 2023 OTAs as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship (h/t ESPN’s Courtney Cronin), he has never drawn publicly-reported interest for a coaching job at the NFL level.

In 2021, George became the head coach of FCS program Tennessee State, and as Glazer observes, the 1996 Heisman Trophy winner and four-time Pro Bowler led the team to a conference co-championship in 2024 and was named the OVC-Big South Coach of the Year for his efforts. Still, it is a far cry from that position to an NFL head coaching position.

George, whose post-playing career includes an MBA from Northwestern University and a role in a Broadway production of (appropriately enough) Chicago, is clearly a dark horse for the Bears’ HC post. Nonetheless, he made enough of an impression in his current job – and perhaps during his time with the team in 2023 – to merit some level of consideration.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has long been viewed as one of the most attractive HC candidates available in this year’s cycle – just as he was in each of the past two years – and since Detroit’s season surprisingly came to an end by virtue of last night’s divisional round loss to the Commanders, Johnson can now take in-person summits with interested clubs. The same is true of Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who (like Johnson) interviewed virtually with the Bears on January 11.

We heard just yesterday that, if the Lions should be upset by Washington, there could be a flurry of head coaching activity as teams rush to conduct in-person sit-downs with Johnson and Glenn. A source tells Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune that Johnson could have his pick of the Bears’, Raiders’, or Jaguars’ jobs, and while recent buzz has suggested Johnson could be Las Vegas-bound, it appears that all three clubs are still in the mix

Biggs adds that former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, whose contract with Dallas was allowed to expire last week and who interviewed with Chicago one day later, has a “legitimate shot” at the Bears’ gig.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

Two weekends of playoff football have come and gone, providing us with 10 more draft slots cemented into position as NFL teams continue to be eliminated from the playoffs. The top 18 picks were already divvied up at the conclusion of the regular season to the teams who failed to make the playoffs, while picks 19-28 have been determined over the past two weeks.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order has been determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. The playoff squads are being slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular-season record.

The league’s Super Wild Card weekend resulted in the elimination of Chargers, Steelers, Broncos, Packers, Buccaneers, and Vikings after their respective losses. Tampa Bay benefitted from the three-way tie in record with Denver and Pittsburgh, just as the Chargers did over the Packers.

The divisional round of the playoffs resulted in the elimination of the Texans, Rams, Ravens, and Lions. This time, Houston held the tiebreaker over Los Angeles, gifting it higher draft priority.

We are still at a place that, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

Here is how the draft order looks following two weeks of playoff football:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  25. Houston Texans (10-7)
  26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Detroit Lions (15-2)
  29. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  30. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  31. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)

Todd Monken Interviews Go Well; Previous HC Experience Helping

Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken is currently calling one of the most important games of his coaching career, something he spent almost all week preparing for. Unfortunately, he had to spend any free time he had interviewing for what could be the biggest jobs of his career. Despite the distraction of the playoffs, Monken has done well in his interviews, thanks, in part, to his previous experience as a head coach at the collegiate level, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Firstly, Monken commiserated with fans, lamenting that he was being forced to split his attention between two outstanding opportunities: the chance to continue competing for a Super Bowl and the chance to coach an NFL team for the first time in his career. Still, he understood the necessity of the situation while the NFL presumably seeks a solution to the conflict.

The plus is that the Ravens’ performance in the playoffs acts as a sort of supplement to his interviews, giving NFL teams a real-life example of what his coaching and leadership can lead to. As long as the Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson continue to put up impressive performances against the league’s best, Monken will continue to improve his chances at landing an opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL.

As much as his current performance is factoring in, the teams interviewing him have been looking into his past, as well. Monken has extensive experience as an offensive coordinator for three different universities and three different NFL teams, but he also has three years of experience as the head coach at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Monken took over a Southern Miss program in 2013 that had just fired Ellis Johnson following an 0-12 season. With an offensive nucleus of Nick Mullens at quarterback and Ito Smith and Jalen Richard at running back, Monken gradually turned the Golden Eagles around. A 1-11 debut improved to a 3-9 second year at his post before, ultimately, Monken had the team in the conference championship game with a 9-3 regular season record. As impressive as Monken’s recent experience as a coordinator is, his record turning around a winless team in college as a head coach is perhaps just as impressive.

Monken participated in two interviews this week. His first interview was with the Jaguars, who are currently considering him and 10 other candidates for the position. All of those candidates are former coordinators in the league, while four of the candidates have former head coaching experience in the NFL, as well.

His second interview was with the Bears who have no shortage of candidates. Chicago has interviewed 17 candidates so far and have plans to interview three more; they had two other candidates who turned down requests to interview. The candidates include former NFL head coaches (Pete Carroll, Brian Flores, Kliff Kingsbury, Mike McCarthy, Ron Rivera, and Arthur Smith), NFL coordinators (Joe Brady, Aaron Glenn, Ben Johnson, Mike Kafka, Drew Petzing, and Adam Stenavich), and current and former college head coaches (Matt Campbell, Marcus Freeman, Eddie George, and David Shaw), so Monken’s litany of experience gets a bit drowned out in comparison to the other candidates for the Bears’ job.

Monken currently has a lot on his plate in the NFL playoffs. He also has an interview planned with the Raiders. When he’s done padding his résumé this postseason, it will boast his playoff experience as a coordinator. Just as valuable will be his experience turning a winless college team into a winner as a college head coach.

Bears QB Caleb Williams Undergoes Minor Wrist Surgery

Caleb Williams‘ offseason development will be key for the Bears’ chances of taking a step forward next year. Chicago’s franchise quarterback is set to be fully healthy for 2025, but he did undergo a recent procedure.

Williams had a minor elective surgery on his right (i.e. throwing) wrist, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reports. The procedure removed a cyst. The recovery period in this case is not expected to impact the No. 1 pick’s offseason schedule.

To no surprise, Williams immediately handled starting duties to begin his rookie campaign. The Oklahoma and USC product did not have the season he or the team hoped for, with a midseason coaching change and inconsistent performances resulting in a 5-12 record. Williams was not listed with a wrist ailment at any point during the year, which explains why this surgery has only taken place after the end of the campaign.

The Bears are one of six teams currently in need of a new head coach, and developing Williams is an obvious priority for the organization. The 23-year-old seemed to take a step forward when Thomas Brown was promoted to offensive coordinator, although shortly thereafter Brown took over from Matt Eberflus as head coach. An interview for the full-time gig has taken place, but Chicago is looking into a long list of outside candidates as well.

Regardless of which direction the Bears ultimately go in on the sidelines, Williams’ ability to build off his rookie showing will be a major storyline for the team moving forward. He managed a 62.5% completion percentage and a 20:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2024, adding 489 rushing yards. On the other hand, Williams was sacked a league-leading 68 times and improving his decision-making in the pocket (along with upgrades along the offensive line) will be imperative in the future.

Provided his wrist heals in full as expected, though, Williams will be able to take part in Chicago’s offseason program without any injury concerns. Once a coaching hire is made, attention will turn to the team’s roster-building efforts through the spring in preparation for Year 2 of Williams handling QB1 duties.

Bears Denied Meeting With Steelers HC Mike Tomlin

The Bears continue to leave no stone unturned in their search for a new head coach. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bears reached out to the Steelers about head coach Mike Tomlin.

Specifically, the Bears asked if they “would be allowed to talk to and potentially try to trade” for Tomlin. That inquiry was ultimately rebuffed by the Steelers. The Bears apparently weren’t the only team to ask about Tomlin; per Schefter, another squad checked in with the Steelers.

While the Steelers would obviously have a major say in a potential Tomlin ouster, it sounds like the coach also has the ability to control his future. Per Schefter, Tomlin possesses a no-trade clause, so any potential suitors would face multiple hurdles if they were serious about a pursuit.

The Bears have been especially aggressive in their search for a new head coach. The team has interviewed or requested an interview with some of this cycle’s most popular candidates, ranging from hot shot coordinators like Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn to long-time head coach Pete Carroll. The team has even looked towards the college ranks, with a recent report indicating that the Bears wanted to interview Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman.

As our 2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, the Bears have either interviewed or requested interviews with 17 candidates, and there are a handful of additional options that have been connected to the organization. Considering the team’s wide search, it isn’t a surprise that they took a swing at Tomlin. This report also indicates that the Bears wouldn’t be shy about making a trade for a HC. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin notes that Bears GM Ryan Poles was apparently sincere when he said the team would “look at all avenues to get the best coach” in Chicago.

Tomlin would represent one of the most experienced and accomplished coaching options for the Bears. He’s served as the Steelers head coach since the 2007 campaign, and he’s famously never had a losing season during his 18 years in Pittsburgh. This run has included 12 playoff appearances, including a Super Bowl championship during his second season on the sideline. More recently, the veteran coach has drawn criticism for the Steelers’ lack of postseason success. The team has made the playoffs in four of the past five years, with each of those appearances resulting in a one-and-done showing.

Ben Johnson Remains Interested In Jaguars’ Head Coaching Vacancy

11:03pm: ESPN’s Adam Schefter as well as Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz both echo the sentiment that Jacksonville remains under consideration in Johnson’s situation. They also note the Bears could be a team to watch on this front, something which will of course remain the case until Chicago makes a hire.

10:40am: In recent days, the Raiders have emerged as the presumed destination for Ben Johnson with respect to his high-profile head coaching candidacy. The Lions’ offensive coordinator still has other suitors, of course, and the Jaguars are among them.

Prior to the news strongly tying Johnson to Vegas, Jacksonville was reported to be “all in” on hiring him. Neither the Raiders nor the Jags have made a hire yet, and Johnson will of course not be available to officially take the position with either franchise until the Lions are eliminated from the playoffs. In-person interviews with coaches whose team’s seasons have ended can take place once the divisional round ends; Johnson could participate in such a meeting with interested teams during the bye week leading up to the Super Bowl should the Lions make it to the title game.

As the watch for further developments on the Raiders front continues, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports Johnson remains interested in “exploring” the Jaguars’ vacancy. She adds the Jags continue to ask about how a potential Johnson-led staff would look, an indication that feeling is still mutual. Jacksonville moved on from an offense-oriented head coach (Doug Pederson) at the end of the season, but doubling down on that side of the ball would of course be a move aimed at – among other things – maximizing quarterback Trevor Lawrence‘s potential.

Anderson adds that Lions pass game coordinator Tanner Engstrand would likely be a name to watch regarding potential offensive coordinator hires in the event Johnson were to take the Jaguars’ gig. Hiring an experienced defensive coordinator would be expected in that event, per Anderson, something which would come as no surprise given the team’s struggles on that side of the ball in 2024. Jacksonville owner Shad Khan and general manager Trent Baalke (who, to the surprise of many, was retained but may see another front office staffer added during the hiring cycle) will need to pivot to other candidates if Johnson drops out of the running or lands elsewhere. This connection still persists as the 2025 coaching landscape takes shape, though.

Via PFR’s HC search tracker, here is a look at Jacksonville’s situation:

OL Notes: Thuney, Packers, Cowboys, Bears

Joe Thuney landed on the All-Pro first team at his natural left guard position, but as the Chiefs have struggled to find a left tackle solution this season, they had kicked their standout LG to that post. Although in-season free agency addition D.J. Humphries is healthy, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes Kansas City will leave Thuney at LT. This arrangement has featured Mike Caliendo at left guard. Humphries, who rehabbed an ACL tear for most of 2024 as a free agent, suffered a hamstring injury during his Chiefs debut. Thuney has fared much better than Wanya Morris or second-round rookie Kingsley Suamataia, the latter having won the job out of training camp. While the two-time reigning champions will have work to do at this spot soon, it appears their threepeat push will feature Thuney at LT the rest of the way.

Here is the latest from the O-line ranks:

  • The Packers have both their primary tackle starters (Rasheed Walker, Zach Tom) under contract for 2025, and Elgton Jenkins is tied to a lucrative extension. With Jordan Morgan‘s rookie deal going through 2027, Green Bay only has one key UFA-to-be on its offensive front. Four-year center starter Josh Myers is out of contract, but GM Brian Gutekunst labeled (via the Green Bay Press-Gazette’s Ryan Wood) the blocker as having “his best year.” Perhaps more importantly, Gutekunst praised how Myers and Jordan Love work as a combo on offense. Although Ryan Kelly is the biggest name among available centers, Myers’ age (26) and experience (56 starts) will help him become one of the top interior O-linemen on the market. The Packers last faced a decision on a center in 2021, when they let Corey Linsley walk before drafting Myers. It will be interesting to see how they address the situation with Myers.
  • Also in Green Bay, Gutekunst noted that there could be some shuffling in the offensive line starters’ positions. Notably, he mentioned that Tom, who has started every game at right tackle for the past two years, could potentially shift over to the blind side, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Back in 2022, Tom’s rookie season, the Wake Forest alum started games at both left tackle and left guard, and Gutekunst believes Tom could play any of the five positions, though he lauds that the 25-year-old has established himself at tackle and could end up starting on the left side.
  • In the recent past Jerry Jones and the Cowboys have been extremely fortunate when forced to start rookie offensive linemen. Players like Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Connor Williams, and Zack Martin have all been players who immediately (or almost immediately) stepped in to great success on the offensive line in Dallas. This year, Jones hoped he’d be able to count to two rookies drafted in the first three rounds once again, starting first-round Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton and third-round Kansas State center Cooper Beebe for a combined 27 games. Guyton was drafted to replace departed veteran Tyron Smith, but the rookie was in a bit over his head this season. Out of 81 players graded at the position by Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Guyton graded out as the 73rd-best tackle, getting benched near the end of the season. Beebe faired a bit better in 16 starts but only ranked as the 16th-best center in the league, per PFF. According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, Jones admitted on a radio interview with 105.3 The FAN that he “probably got a little out over (his) skis thinking, ‘just plug those guys in.'”
  • Offensive guard Matt Pryor has bounced around quite a bit over his first six years in the NFL, getting traded halfway through his rookie deal from Philadelphia to Indianapolis before spending a year each in San Francisco and Chicago. In his sixth NFL season, Pryor, who had only filled in as a starter over his first five years, found himself starting 15 games this season for the Bears. According to Adam Jahns of The Athletic, Pryor wouldn’t mind putting down some roots, saying “he’d like to return” after the one-year deal he played on this season. He graded out decently (21st of 77) per PFF, so he could fetch some money on the free agent market, but it sounds like he’s interested in staying in Chicago.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Patriots Interview Thomas Brown For OC Job

Technically still in the running for the Bears’ head coaching job, Thomas Brown has begun to explore his options. After meeting with the Seahawks about their position, the interim Chicago HC is on the Patriots’ radar.

As Mike Vrabel looks to replace Alex Van Pelt on his first New England staff, he met with Brown about the OC job, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The meeting occurred Tuesday, before it became known the Seahawks had others in mind — Klint Kubiak, Grant Udinski — for second interviews about their OC vacancy.

[RELATED: Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]

Vrabel joined Brown in meeting about the Bears’ HC job, and the two one-time Chicago candidates spent time discussing recent Bears offensive work. It looks like Brown will be set to join a fourth team in four years. While the Patriots are set to conduct a wide-ranging search (per Vrabel, at least) that will include Josh McDaniels, Brown looks likely to leave Chicago.

Brown spent the 2022 season with the Rams, was both a play-calling and non-play-calling OC with the Panthers in 2023 and held three Bears positions last year. Initially hiring Shane Waldron as their OC, the Bears circled back to Brown as pass-game coordinator. Brown took the Chicago play-calling reins after the team fired Waldron months into his tenure and then replaced Matt Eberflus soon after. While Brown’s HC tenure did not go very well, team brass realized the tough spot he was in and still considered him for the HC role. Given how disappointing the Bears’ 2024 season was and the importance of maximizing Caleb Williams, it should be expected Brown will not be retained.

The Bears dropped from 4-2 to 4-12 this season, though Brown did nab his only win as interim HC via a game-winning field goal over the Packers in Week 18. The presences of Williams and a well-regarded skill-position group did not boost the Bears this season; the team ranked last in total offense and 28th in points scored. This stands to make a move to another play-calling post — which the Patriots’ job will be — potentially difficult for the former Sean McVay assistant.

Brown is the first confirmed interview for this position, even though a third McDaniels stint has been on the New England radar for a bit. Van Pelt confirmed he was fired along with Jerod Mayo after the Pats’ Week 18 win. If someone other than McDaniels lands the New England job, it will be the franchise’s fifth OC in five years.

Coaching/Front Office Notes: 49ers, Packers, Giants, Bears

After moving on from special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, the 49ers have started looking at replacements. After meeting with Lions assistant special teams coach Jett Modkins, the team has added two more candidates to the fray.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the 49ers have interview Broncos assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo for their ST coordinator vacancy. The long-time special teams ace ended his playing career following the 2022 campaign, and he quickly found post-career work in Denver. He’s spent the past two years serving as the Broncos assistant ST coach, and now he could take another career leap in San Francisco.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 49ers also interviewed Chris Tabor for the job. Most recently, the veteran coach served as the Panthers interim head coach following the firing of Frank Reich. Before that, he spent a season-plus as the Panthers ST coordinator, a title he also held in stints with the Bears and Browns.

More coaching and front office notes from around the NFL…

  • The Packers have parted ways with defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Rebrovich just took on the role this past season after previously serving as Green Bay’s OLBs coach. Brian Gutekunst hinted that changes could be coming, as the GM recently attributed the team’s DL struggles to scheme instead of personnel. The team isn’t wasting any time seeking a replacement, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Packers will interview Jets DL coach Aaron Whitecotton for the job. Whitecotton spent the past four seasons in the role, and he previously had stints with the 49ers, Bills, and Jaguars.
  • The Giants have made some changes to their defensive coaching staff, firing defensive passing game coordinator/DB coach Jerome Henderson, per Garafolo. The Giants have also moved on from safeties coach Michael Treier. Henderson joined the organization as part of Joe Judge‘s initial Giants staff in 2020. As Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post notes, Brian Daboll‘s first coaching move was to retain Henderson, but the DB coach later drew some ire for his initial support (and later critiques) of Deonte Banks. Per Art Stapleton of USA Today, Marquand Manuel is a name to watch as a potential replacement for one of the vacant secondary roles. Manuel would bring plenty of experience, having once served as the Falcons defensive coordinator and most recently as the Jets safeties coach.
  • One last firing to pass along. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Bears have let go of director of football analytics Krithi Chandrakasan. Following stints in Kansas City and Jacksonville, Chandrakasan was brought to Chicago by Ryan Poles in 2022.