Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson will be introduced to the media on Wednesday, but he still needs to put together his new staff in the Windy City.
Johnson, 38, will take over the Bears as his first head coaching job after three successful years running the Detroit Lions’ offense, and it seems likely he’ll want to bring some coaches with experience onto his staff.
Here’s how things are currently situated as Johnson looks to put together his coaching staff.
Offensive Coordinator:
While Johnson will undoubtedly call plays with the Bears, there are rumblings that he could end up bringing over one of his fellow coaches with the Lions to work on his staff in Chicago.
Fox Sports’ Carmen Vitali went on CHGO’s Bears podcast this week and said she would be surprised if Johnson didn’t hire Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley as his offensive coordinator in Chicago.
Fraley is also considered a contender to become the new offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks, according to multiple reports, so there may be competition for his services.
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Thomas Brown, who was the Bears’ interim offensive coordinator before he was promoted to interim head coach, could potentially join the staff of the New England Patriots if he doesn’t land a job elsewhere, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
According to reports, Brown had interviewed with the Patriots for their vacant offensive coordinator position before Josh McDaniels landed the job on Tuesday.
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Defensive Coordinator:
The Bears’ defensive coordinator search is still taking shape, but according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, a frontrunner for the job could be former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen.
Before Allen was promoted to head coach of the Saints, his defenses ranked in the top-five in NFL in scoring, according to ESPN.
Eric Washington, who served as Matt Eberflus’ defensive coordinator in Chicago during the 2024 season, has reportedly been interviewed by the Green Bay Packers for their open defensive line coaching position, according to Jones.
Special Teams Coordinator:
Questions remain over whether the Bears will retain Richard Hightower as their special teams coordinator.
If Hightower isn’t retained by the Bears, Chicago Tribune reporter Brad Biggs has reported that he could end up heading to the Miami Dolphins to work under Mike McDaniel.
Johnson has reportedly been linked to Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi, who was New Orleans’ special teams coordinator before he was promoted after Allen’s firing in Nov. 2024.
