
The NFL 2024 season was disappointing for most Chicago fans, with the team finishing with a 5-12 record and the firing of yet another head coach, Matt Eberflus, among other issues. However, the future for the Bears doesn’t look as bleak anymore. On Monday, it was announced that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has agreed to a deal to become the Bears’ next head coach.
Upon his arrival at Halas Hall today, Johnson received a warm welcome, greeted by applause and cheers. He will be the 19th head coach in the franchise’s 105-year history. The “early figure on the NFL grapevine” for Ben Johnson is $13 million per year, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
Adam Schefter reported that Johnson is already working on assembling his coaching staff, with former New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen as the leading candidate to become Chicago’s defensive coordinator. The Bears are also actively pursuing Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi for the position of special teams coordinator.
Chicago Bears still need to decide on a new stadium
While the Bears may have found their next head coach, they still have other problems: finding a location for a new stadium. Last year, the Chicago Bears revealed plans for a state-of-the-art, $4 billion domed lakefront stadium just south of Soldier Field. This ambitious project includes a recreation and cultural campus with restaurants, plazas, gardens, and enhanced gathering spaces. Meanwhile, the Bears plan to commit over $2 billion and seek the remainder from taxpayers, which Governor Pritzker is adamantly against.