The hiring of Ben Johnson was a genuine shock. Nobody expected the Chicago Bears to get it done. This was the top candidate on the market. This franchise never landed those. They always settled for some second or third-tier option people didn’t care for but could be talked into. Johnson is the first one Bears fans genuinely wanted. That the team made it happen was a great joy. It also led to questions. There had to be a catch. Sure, Caleb Williams was a nice lure, but there is no way Johnson takes this job for that reason alone. The Bears must’ve guaranteed him something.
One persistent theory was that Johnson would have a large degree of power on the personnel front. Johnson would have the final say on player acquisitions. Many dismissed this. The Bears had only allowed that amount of sway for a coach once, and it lasted a year. It seems so unlikely they’d change course, even for somebody like Johnson. Well, we finally got confirmation. Jeff Hughes of Sports Mockery revealed it on Twitter (X), basically stating Johnson has the power in the organization now. That Ryan Poles extension only happened because he gave the green light.
Ben Johnson had a clear influence on the Bears’ entire offseason.
It started with free agency. It was no coincidence that Chicago made the offensive line its first three moves with Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Drew Dalman. Then, it shifted to the draft, where the offensive guys were the first three picks. Dig even deeper. The fact that they took a tight end (Colston Loveland) and a wide receiver (Luther Burden) with the first two picks despite neither position being a pressing need was a departure from Poles’ usual modus operandi. Each pick felt more about taking the best talent on the board rather than the biggest need. That is something Ben Johnson picked up in Detroit while watching Brad Holmes.
If this is how things will go from now on, the Bears might be okay. Johnson is a smart man who has a sharp eye for talent. He’s also much more of a natural leader than Poles. He is the one voice you want in the locker room. Let Poles be the scout. Every major decision will go through the head coach. It might not be typical of many organizations, but it might be what’s best for this one.
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