CHICAGO — Just spitballing here, but perhaps there’s a joint therapy session opportunity suddenly sitting right here on the table. For Chicago Bears fans. And for their prospective new head coach Ben Johnson. Find the largest theater available — IMAX maybe? — cue up some Detroit Lions game film and roll through every one of the 72 touchdowns Johnson’s offense scored this season.

From Jahmyr Gibbs’ 1-yard run in the first half in Week 1 to his 8-yard score in the third quarter of Saturday’s playoff game against the Washington Commanders.

Put it on a loop. Watch it three times through. Four. Maybe more.

Everyone involved can immerse themselves in the creativity of the entire production, in the detailed execution, in the excitement of all those highlights and in what this all signifies.

If so desired, extra time can be spent on the Lions’ 52-point explosion in a Week 8 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Or their 645-yard outburst three weeks later against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

For Johnson, the highlight reel can serve as pain relief after the Lions’ magical season came to an abrupt and nightmarish end with a home loss in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. And for Bears fans? It can become a preview of sorts, a sneak peek into what Johnson can potentially bring to life at Halas Hall.

For a short time anyway, this is a moment for imagination here, another opportunity to dream — especially for a beaten-down franchise coming off a miserable season. This is a chance for the Bears to celebrate the possibility and to commemorate a move that puts a big bold checkmark inside the box next to their vow to pursue the best candidate available for this head coaching job.

Monday’s reported union between Johnson and the Bears is undeniably huge, the biggest splash the team possibly could have made at a time when they absolutely needed to make one. General manager Ryan Poles deserves credit for selling Johnson on the perks of coming to 1920 Football Drive in Lake Forest, which includes an opportunity to work with uber-talented 23-year-old quarterback Caleb Williams.

President/CEO Kevin Warren merits a nod of approval for helping this organization elevate its ambitions, avoiding any sort of Bears-like temptation to succumb to the settle-and-shrug muscle memory that has frequently hindered the team.

Now? There’s a new explosion of hope inside Halas Hall and an opportunity for Johnson to become the new visionary as he attempts to revive a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game in 14 seasons and hasn’t enjoyed three consecutive winning seasons since 1988.

And again, that touchdown montage recommended above — which includes a half-dozen scores against the Bears — should provide a pretty sizable initial adrenaline rush.

Calculated risk

To be clear, no one really knows whether Johnson can actually achieve the high level of success as a head coach everyone in Chicago is now visualizing. Poles can’t say for certain if Johnson has all that in him. Warren can’t either.

Heck, not even Johnson can promise to have the magic touch will suddenly awaken the Bears from their decades-long slumber. No matter what the Bears sell at Johnson’s anticipated introductory news conference later this week, it’s worth acknowledging that the failure rate of finding high-quality head coaches in this league is staggering.

The NFL remains a cruel, pressure-packed world that chews up and spits out promising head coaches all the time. Heck, the Bears have run through four themselves in the 12 seasons since Lovie Smith was fired.

Just three years ago, the Bears hired Matt Eberflus as the 17th head coach in franchise history and sold him as detailed, poised, energetic and emotionally intelligent. They didn’t sense then that Eberflus would be gone by Week 14 of his third season with a victory total of just 14.

Within that 2022 hiring cycle, 10 new head coaches were given opportunities to elevate their respective teams. And here in January 2025? Only four are still in those jobs — Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings), Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Brian Daboll (New York Giants) and Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins).

Still, reports of Johnson’s hiring Monday were receiving almost universal acclaim around the league and for good reason. No matter where his Bears journey winds up, these were dice worth rolling. For both sides.

For the Bears, it’s an opportunity to unite Williams with one of the brightest and most creative minds in the sport with the hope that the quarterback’s career breakthrough will become imminent under Johnson’s tutelage. (Just look at what Johnson did for three seasons calling plays for another former No. 1 draft pick, Jared Goff.)

And for Johnson, the potential spoils of unlocking a world of success that the Bears haven’t experienced in quite some time are immeasurable.

‘A burning desire’

Just five weeks ago, as Johnson was preparing to face the Bears at Soldier Field, he was asked how strong his ambitions to become a head coach were.

“There’s a burning desire in every man to find what he’s made out of,” he said, “to push the limits and see if he’s got what it takes. So yeah. There’s a fire there. Now, when that time is? I don’t know when that will be. But there’s certainly a fire there.”

The time, it turns out, is now. Right here in Chicago. And the fire must continue to burn.

If there are concerns about factors that might inhibit Johnson’s climb as a head coach, it’s that no one knows for sure just how he will transition from offensive coordinator duties in Detroit into a role that will now force him to oversee and command an entire football program. Johnson has never had such demanding and wide-reaching responsibilities. And his ability to lead will be tested in new ways.

As a self-proclaimed perfectionist, he will have to continue his self-improvement efforts in delegating, relinquishing control across certain areas, and offering his assistants freedom and trust to carry out the team vision.

Johnson will also have to prove he can be, at minimum, a capable and engaged supervisor of the Bears defense. And, starting Tuesday, he must begin assembling a top-notch staff to catalyze those efforts.

Through a big-picture lens though, the buzz about Johnson’s head coaching potential has been strong and growing for months. And if the Lions’ offensive productivity this season must again be referenced, it can be. A league-high 564 points during the regular season. (The Bears scored 310).

Detroit scored 30 or more points in 10 games. (The Bears managed that feat twice, but never after Week 6).

The Lions ran the ball with authority, passed it with panache and ranked in the top five in the league in both third-down efficiency and red zone production. Johnson’s fingerprints were all over that success.

Sure, the Lions have benefited from having a well-built and ultra-sturdy offensive line, something Poles has yet to put together for the Bears. But offensive productivity like the Lions have experienced doesn’t happen by accident either.

For starters, Johnson is not averse to prioritizing the run game. In fact, the Lions ranked third in the NFL this season in rushing attempts (31.4 per game) and sixth in rushing yardage (146.4 yards per game). That’s an ideal way to take pressure off a quarterback and unlock a dangerous play-action passing attack.

With Goff, who arrived in 2021 as a castoff from the Rams, Johnson and Lions head coach Dan Campbell were instrumental in providing an injection of belief and confidence. And despite Goff’s struggles in a season-ending postseason loss Saturday, Goff is coming off a two-season run in which he threw for 9,204 yards with 67 touchdowns and a 104.4 passer rating.

There’s no question the Lions quarterback has surpassed the expectations everyone in Detroit had when he arrived. And if similar improvement results occur with Williams, the Bears will be headed down a path toward sustainable success.

‘What’s the big idea?’

On the whole, Johnson earned his reputation within the Lions organization and around the league as an offensive savant with a proven ability to combine creativity and fearlessness with a detailed coaching style that demands focus and precision.

Furthermore, he has proven he can be a dynamic leader known for his honesty and ability to push players to reach their full potential.

Plus, those imaginative touches Johnson adds to the offense? Those simply add energy to the entire operation.

And when those “I’ve got an idea” plays hit, the fun quotient elevates. For everyone.

So yeah. Keep an eye on that film production for those creative wrinkles. Remember “Stumble Bum” at Soldier Field last month — Goff feigning a fall and throwing to tight end Sam LaPorta for a 21-yard score? Or the 7-yard touchdown reception Goff had on a pass from Amon-Ra St. Brown against the Seattle Seahawks in September? What about the 61-yard Jameson Williams touchdown run Johnson cooked up Saturday on the playoff stage?

Those are just a few of the many examples of big ideas coming to life in a big way. And in a nutshell, that’s why news of the Bears hiring Johnson on Monday registered as so intriguing and so compelling. It’s a big idea for sure. And now that idea has its chance to come to life in a big way in Chicago.

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