The Raiders were very interested in Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for their vacant head coach position, but he ultimately chose the Bears instead. Colin Cowherd discussed the situation on his podcast, where his co-host, John Middlekauff, shared reasons why Johnson may have opted for Chicago. He cited faulty ownership as the primary reason Johnson avoided Sin City. Besides that, Tom Brady’s absence in Vegas is also one factor behind the decision.
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“[Brady] doesn’t live in Vegas. And the partner that (he) bought in from the VC firm, he’s in New York. You still get to walk into the building and Mark Davis is there every day. Like, that’s a fact… It’s not the same as when John Elway ran the Broncos, he was there,” Middlekauff stated on The Colin Cowherd Podcast.
Middlekauff’s take hits the mark perfectly. He was a pro scout with the Philadelphia Eagles for three years, so he knows a thing or two about how an NFL organization works.
While Brady has bought a minority stake in the Raiders, it doesn’t look as if he is that invested in the team yet. He lives in Florida and seems preoccupied with calling NFL games on FOX.
Brady’s business partner doesn’t live in Vegas either. The Raiders have Mark Davis written all over them, as the team has been riddled with dysfunction since 2011, when he inherited it from his father and ex-coach, Al Davis.
The Raiders have only had two incredible seasons under Mark. However, in both the instances, they were eliminated in the Wild Card round after making it to the playoffs.
The team has cycled through eight head coaches (soon to be nine) in just 14 seasons. The longest-tenured ones only lasted three years before being fired. So, it wasn’t the most eye-catching job for Johnson anyway.
Why did Johnson choose the Bears?
Given that the Bears are in the Lions’ division, appointing Johnson as coach has surprised many. Middlekauff believes that the competition surrounding him in the forms of the Vikings and the Packers could have made the opportunity attractive for him to take up.
“Think about how well he knows the personnel on this [Bears] team. And think how comfortable he is too. You know how hesitant he’s been to take one of these jobs. I mean that Washington job was a pretty good opportunity.”
According to sources, Johnson was all but guaranteed to take the Commanders’ job last year after an interview. But he got cold feet and decided to decline the offer during the plane ride home to Detroit.
He was careful during his selection process and could’ve been hired one or two seasons ago. But he decided to wait and find the perfect home.
“Well, now he takes the Bears job, which I think we all agree was a little weird still,” Middlekauff continued.
“But he knows the Lions like the back of his hand… The Vikings and the Packers he’s been playing against for years… I think there’s a comfort level staying in the division.”
The money ofcourse, makes a huge difference too. The fact that the Bears have reportedly agreed to pay him an estimated $13 million per year for their coaching job, is incredible. This, for a man, who has had no prior coaching experience in the NFL at all.
Nevertheless, I personally love the hire. Johnson has been sought after by many teams for years and being in such high demand, he deserves the price tag. Working with someone like Jared Goff successfully has also helped his case.
And the Bears have a great foundation for him to work with. It’s not just Caleb Williams and a host of great receivers. It’s also the elite defense that he doesn’t have to worry about fixing.
All Johnson has to do is come in and address what’s been causing the Bears trouble on offense. It is mainly a lack of protection for Williams and a need for more creative playcalling.
Maybe in three years, we’ll look back on this hire and see it as a poor decision. But right now, Johnson is the hottest coaching commodity on the market with other coaches already being either well-settled with rival teams or getting well-paid by them.
With Chicago bagging him, it’s also time he makes a switch in his career. The Lions have become amazing over the years, largely thanks to him, and he deserves to be rewarded for that.
So, congrats Ben, and best of luck in Chicago. You’re going to need it. It’s a city that will hoist up their winning coaches like heroes, or tear them down immediately if it’s not up to standard.
