Bears' coaching success breeds temptation. The Lions eye Chicago's offensive minds, potentially poaching talent following Ben Johnson's impactful turnaround.
The Chicago Bears made one of the best hires of the offseason, bringing in former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be their next head coach.
We are now deep into December, and the Bears have clinched a playoff spot at 11-4. Johnson has revitalized a Bears team that went 5-12 just one year ago under former head coach Matt Eberflus.
Johnson was the OC for Detroit from 2022-24. His specialty on that side of the ball is showing this season, as the Bears boast the second-best rushing offense in the NFL, averaging 152.1 rushing yards per game.
The Bears are also 10th in points (25.8) and fourth in total yards per game (371.5).
With the incredible turnaround the Bears have had in 2025, people are starting to look at the coaching staff for potential offseason hires.
Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle may be up for grabs, but the Bears could block teams from interviewing him. Outside of that, the franchise can't protect any others. This means that the likes of pass game coordinator Press Taylor, quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett and running backs coach Eric Bieniemy could all be interviewed for different jobs.
CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported that sources are saying that Lions' head coach Dan Campbell will be looking for a new offensive coordinator. The Lions may do what the Bears did and pull someone from Chicago's staff.
"League sources believe Dan Campbell will be in the market for a new offensive coordinator this year, and perhaps he pulls from Johnson's staff one year after Johnson took flight from Detroit," Jones said.
Besides Doyle, the only one on Johnson's staff with previous OC experience is Bieniemy. He was previously the OC with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2018-2022, and then held the same role with the Washington Commanders in 2023.
Barrett was another addition to Chicago from the Lions' staff. He was with Detroit for the last three seasons as the assistant quarterbacks coach. He's in his first year with the Bears in 2025.
Taylor was with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2022-24 as the offensive coordinator. He's helped Caleb Williams and the passing attack in Chicago reach new heights.
It's a good sign of how things are going when reports like this are floating around about your coaching staff.
For now, the Bears will focus on chasing after the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Bears must win out and have the Seattle Seahawks lose one game in their last two.