Ben Johnson’s bold message for Lions, Packers, Vikings during interview emerges

The Chicago Bears have already gotten a lot better this offseason. It all started with hiring former Lions OC Ben Johnson as their next head coach. Now the Bears are ready to dominate the 2025 NFL Draft and challenge their NFC North rivals later this fall.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson made it clear that he wants to coach in the NFC North.

Johnson told Bears leadership during his head coaching interview that he wants to coach against Dan Campbell, Kevin O’Connell, and Matt LaFleur twice a year.

“I want that smoke,” Johnson said in his interview via Bears chairman George McCaskey.

Johnson made it clear from the start that he wanted to be the Bears’ head coach. He also made a point of specifically stating that he wanted to work with Bears GM Ryan Poles, despite rumors to the contrary.

“Anytime there’s a process like this, you hear all these crazy stories, and you don’t know their origins,” McCaskey said. “You don’t know who’s planting them. You have serious doubts about their authenticity. And for the guy to say, ‘Contrary to what you might have heard, I want to work with Ryan — and I want to be the next head coach of the Chicago Bears.’”

It sounds like Ben Johnson wants to make some noise during his first season as Chicago’s head coach.

Perhaps Johnson will cook up some extra special game plans for NFC North games this fall.

Ben Johnson is already winning over the Bears’ locker room

Ben Johnson has clearly already won over the Bears’ locker room.

Multiple Bears players told Chris Emma of 670 The Score on Tuesday that they were impressed with their new head coach.

Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds was one of the team’s defensive stars who gushed about Johnson.

“You can feel it, the confidence level,” Edmunds said. “Being a first-time head coach, being able to address the room, that’s important. You feel that as players. … I felt that. I’m like, ‘OK, this guy’s the real deal.’”

Johnson also received some kind words from his quarterback Caleb Williams.

“If you have that position right, it helps with a bunch of different things,” Williams said. “So, building that bond, him pushing me and us growing together for years to come. It’s going to be fun. I can’t wait. And to be able to learn more about ball, because he’s super smart, super sharp.”

It will be fascinating to see what Ben Johnson does with the Bears during his first season as an NFL head coach.