Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown knew it was a risk.
His valuable offensive coordinator is leaving for a division rival? The Chicago Bears had not reached a deal with Ben Johnson last week, when St. Brown and his brother Equanimeous St. Brown hosted Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on their podcast.
But the rumors were enough that Amon-Ra St. Brown joked last week: “Just so you know, I told Ben, ‘Caleb is fucking trash.'”
“Everything’s fine,” Williams deadpanned. “What he’s doing with this information is very good.”
Amon-Ra St. Brown doubled down: “Caleb is a diva. He’s a selfish bastard, he wants to do everything by himself, he thinks he’s the smartest guy in the world, that he’s not coachable.
His brother rolled his eyes: “Amon, he’s gone. Say goodbye.
Ben Johnson is reportedly a top candidate for several head coaching jobs, including in Chicago, and Amon-Ra doesn’t want to see him go 😅 pic.twitter.com/Xj0bbTEtC8
– St. Brown Podcast (@StBrownPodcast) January 16, 2025
On Monday, Johnson was.
THE Bears reach deal to hire Johnson as the next head coach Monday afternoon, according to multiple media outlets, including a message from the coaching agency representing Johnson. Although the team has yet to officially announce that Johnson has put pen to paper, the pending marriage certificate appears to be not a matter of if but when. Bears fans have reason to rejoice.
Because even though a front office whose words and actions don’t always match, citing different goals for its coaching search, the success of the Bears’ next hire will depend primarily on one facet: maximizing Williams’ potential, who they selected first overall. in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The three offensive coordinators and two head coaches he led as a rookie delayed that goal. Now, a high-ceiling talent has the chance to recover and grow in his second year.
Williams learned during a tumultuous rookie year how powerful stability can be. Hiring a head coach who calls the plays, and therefore won’t rush for a promotion elsewhere, can create an offensive advantage. So yeah, consider him a fan of the Johnson hiring.
“Selfishly, I want an offensive-minded guy,” Williams told the St. Brown brothers, “so I can build with him and be with this coach for the next 19, 17, 15 years.”
What Williams and Bears’ offense could look like under Johnson
Just before admitting he wanted an offensive head coach, Williams mentioned he wanted a head coach who was “strong in spirit” and “a leader of men.” His candor touted him emphatically during a head coaching search process that included interviews (some virtual, some in person) with 17 heralded candidates.
But the Bears have not committed in recent weeks to hiring an offensive head coach. Team president Kevin Warren insisted it was important to go into the search undecided, while general manager Ryan Poles declined to confirm that hiring an offensive coach for Williams was necessary.
“For a young quarterback, obviously there’s a perfect fit, but ultimately you have to look at all the characteristics of what you’re looking for in a head coach,” The Poles declared on January 7. “And then you have to see what is the best package to integrate into the building. We’re obviously talking about leadership, accountability, some of those important things that endure regardless of the situation. These must be there. Simply ignoring them to get to the other side (of the force of the system), I also think, is bad business.
“So he’s really the candidate that has the best collection of all of those things, and yeah, the development of a young quarterback is going to be a huge factor in that.”
Teams have learned the downsides of not backing a rookie quarterback, from Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence translating seemingly generational talent into average performances to the litany of quarterbacks the New York Jets have drafted and destroyed, permanently or temporarily (welcome back, Geno Smith and Sam Darnold).
Williams completed 62.5 percent of passes for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions as a rookie. His passer rating of 87.8 ranked 25th in the league. Williams’ attempt to play, coupled with shoddy protection, led to a game-high 68 sacks for a game-high 466 yards.
With Johnson, the Bears hope they can better protect Williams and give him better schematic wrinkles to succeed. The architect of the Lions’ number one offense isn’t a sure thing, but league sources expect significant improvement.
A former offensive coordinator, who is now an NFC assistant, expects an increase in play-action passing after the Lions ranked first in the league with 36.6% this season, compared to the Bears’ 17% . Williams could also see more time at center, after the Lions ranked last with 16 shotgun attempts compared to 37 for the Bears.
“It will be a radical change,” the former coordinator told Yahoo Sports. “It’s more of a pro-style deal than what they were trying to do this year. I’ll have to retrain the QB.
An NFC assistant who worked with a first-round quarterback pick expected some schematic continuity after looking at the depth of the coaching trees, and some zone influence overlap between time of Johnson under Adam Gase and Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams, who influenced 2024. Bears coordinators Shane Waldron and Thomas Brown.
Williams focuses less on a specific scheme and more on how a head coach can provide an advantage or disadvantage on macro considerations.
“So I also get to learn and grow and things like that because of him,” Williams said on the St. Brown podcast. “(Someone who is) good with the clock, good at helping control the game…helping find the right guys to help win championships.”
Ben Johnson already answers some questions – while others remain to be seen
Have the Bears found the “leader of men” they cited? It’s too early to tell.
Even if the stories surrounding Detroit haven’t shaken Johnson’s leadership, his sketchy reputation certainly outweighs his presence.
The league’s view of Johnson’s readiness for the head coaching role is mixed.
The near-unanimous opinion says he is a brilliant schematic mind who will be a benefit to any coaching staff. Six seasons in the NFC North will contribute to his game-planning advantage as he remains in the division with his new role.
It remains to be seen how Johnson’s leadership strengths complement his creativity.
“He’s a phenomenal coordinator, a schemer and a phenomenal play designer,” an AFC general manager told Yahoo Sports on Monday. “And listen, maybe you put him in a position where he’s like (San Francisco 49ers head coach) Kyle (Shanahan) where you’re like, ‘Hey, we’re really hiring you to be the OC-plus’ because he’s just that good in that role.
“I tend to think the transition will be more difficult for him as head coach. I think he’s probably smart enough to handle everything in terms of designing the offense and managing the team, so maybe it doesn’t matter. But I would actually have some pretty significant reservations about it.
One of the key traits cited by Lions players regarding Johnson’s personality is his intensity. While that may equate to varying degrees of success across the league, Williams said he’s looking for that with the Bears.
Of course, St. Brown joked about how difficult Williams was to coach. But the quarterback himself recognized that he could be particular and needed a coach who would accept that.
“A guy with fire,” Williams said. “I don’t want people (who don’t have one) to have fire. I think I have a fire in me because some people can’t coach or some people can’t be there or it doesn’t work that way. So I think that’s a big part of the problem.
The Bears, with their hiring, indicated they thought so, too.
