Ben Johnson's Interview With the Bears is Coming Saturday

The Chicago Bears wasted no time in sending out an interview request for Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson. And now, we know when the virtual interview between the two sides will take place.

Head coach interview schedule for Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson:

🏈Friday am: Patriots

🏈Friday pm: Raiders

🏈Saturday am: Bears

🏈Saturday pm: Jaguars pic.twitter.com/j3Zt3kRW1q— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 9, 2025

ESPN’s Adam Schefter shares the interview schedule for Ben Johnson, which features virtual visits with the New England Patriots (Friday morning), Las Vegas Raiders (Friday afternoon), and Jacksonville Jaguars (Saturday afternoon). The Saturday morning time slot is one of the last interview windows the Lions allowed for teams to chop it up with Johnson. Teams have until the end of wild-card weekend to lock in this early batch of virtual interviews.

Ben Johnson and the Bears are an ideal fit, but there will be competition

\I feel as if the worst-kept secret in football is that Ben Johnson is the top target for the Chicago Bears in their search for a new head coach. And if it feels like we have been discussing Johnson as a candidate to replace Matt Eberflus in Chicago, it is because that happens to be the case.

We, as a site, have been exploring the possibility of the Lions OC leaving Detroit to coach the Bears since October. Shortly after Eberflus’ firing, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Johnson might be interested in the gig (which was a change of tune after throwing cold water on rumors in the previous month). Ben Johnson’s coaching profile was the first in Patrick’s series. As it stands, Johnson remains the most intriguing candidate on the market.

Even if Johnson is the Bears’ top candidate, they are no guarantee to reel in the big fish during this hiring cycle. The Jaguars, Patriots, and Raiders are also contenders to bring in Ben Johnson as their next head coach. The Raiders have Tom Brady as a lead recruiter and an open general manager position, which could intrigue a head-coaching candidate like Ben Johnson who reportedly values alignment with a GM. Meanwhile, the Bears, Jags, and Pats are bringing back the same front-office leaders they employed in 2024.

For whatever it’s worth, it sounds like Ben Johnson is open to working with Bears General Manager Ryan Poles. And as a potential sweetener, Chicago’s football team could lean on Jeff King — a front office member whose ties to Johnson were mentioned recently by NFL insider Albert Breer. At this point, the Bears could use every break they can get to convince one of the top coaching candidates to take his talents to Soldier Field in 2025.

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