ESPN: The latest speculation about Ben Johnson might be disastrous for the Packers.

The worst-case situation would be this.

With a victory versus the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, the Green Bay Packers, who are having a fantastic season, will secure their postseason spot. The Packers may win 12 games and still finish third in the division, though, since the NFC North is exceptionally strong this season.

Although offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is mostly responsible for the Detroit Lions’ inventive and unstoppable attack, Dan Campbell deserves a great deal of credit for making the squad perhaps the greatest in football.

The good news? Given that Johnson is maybe the most attractive head coach prospect in the next cycle, the Lions are on the verge of becoming victims of their own success.

Johnson is as inventive as any coordinator in the NFL, and he is very good at everything from faking a botched snap to frequently utilizing hook-and-ladder play designs to tossing a touchdown ball to an offensive tackle.

Detroit’s offense averages 408.6 yards (ranked second in the NFL), 264.7 passing yards (ranked second), 143.9 rushing yards (ranked sixth), and 32.9 points (ranked first) per game under Johnson. In 2023, they placed in the top five in those categories as well.

Johnson has rapidly established himself as one of the league’s top offensive strategists and play-callers, and the Lions would miss him. His possible destination, though, may make matters worse for the Packers.

Ben Johnson is ‘intrigued’ by the Bears’ potential head coach.
Is Johnson departing from the Lions? Good news. Johnson leaving the Lions to become head coach of the Bears and remain in the NFC North? Well, that’s not very good news.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network claims that Johnson to Chicago is a possibility.

“My understanding is Johnson is intrigued by the Bears’ job, and he is going to be willing to listen,” stated Pelissero. Chicago has a lot to offer, including Caleb Williams, a sizable market, plenty of cap room, and additional draft resources. Next year, construction is anticipated to begin on a new stadium. Due to his decades of experience playing collegiate and professional football, team president Kevin Warren has many contacts around the league.

The Packers would win because the Lions wouldn’t be the same without Johnson, but they still have a squad full of incredible talent and would be the club to defeat in the NFC North. However, Johnson has the ability to improve Caleb Williams’ play and change the Bears.

Although he still has a lot to learn, Williams has occasionally displayed All-Pro talent during his first campaign. Williams might reach his full potential if he is paired with one of the league’s top offensive minds, albeit it might take some time. The offensive line is the offense’s main problem this season, but Chicago has the budget capacity to make significant investments in it.

Since it’s the Bears, we may presume that they will make a mistake at some point. However, they ought to place Johnson close to the top of the list if he expresses genuine interest in their open head coaching position. Mike Vrabel is another contender to keep an eye on.

Chicago frequently selects coaches with a defensive mindset, and Vrabel would follow suit. It makes it harder to find a strong offensive coordinator, which makes things more difficult. Either the coordinator is so outstanding that they land a position as head coach (see Ben Johnson) or they are so poor that no team wants to hire them. They lose in either case.