Ben Johnson
Getty
Alex Anzalone admitted he was surprised to see Ben Johnson leave the Lions for the Bears
The Chicago Bears have spent the early portion of the offseason looking for ways to build off of their impressive 2025 campaign. Of course, considering all that the team managed to accomplish under the lead of first-year head coach Ben Johnson, that is going to be easier said than done.
After rising to prominence during his time with the Detroit Lions as their offensive coordinator, Johnson decided to switch sides in one of the most historic rivalries in the NFL. The decision has polarized Lions fans, with one former Detroit star, linebacker Alex Anzalone, revealing that he and his fellow teammates were even caught off guard by Johnson’s decision.
Alex Anzalone Dishes on Ben Johnson Joining the Bears
By the time Anzalone found his way to Detroit, Johnson had already begun his rise up the ranks as part of Dan Campbell’s coaching staff. While Anzalone is a defensive player, he still got to witness the rise of Johnson, who helped turn the Lions’ offense into one of the most well-oiled machines in the league.
For a couple of years, Johnson turned down overtures from teams across the league interested in hiring him as their new head coach. As the 2024 campaign went on, though, it became clear that if Johnson wanted to become a head coach, it was going to happen during the ensuing offseason. Sure enough, he quickly ended up getting hired by the Bears, one of the Lions’ top rivals in the NFC North division.
Fans figured that Johnson would be leaving, but to see him bolt for the Bears left folks feeling a strange type of way. Anzalone, who is now a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also recalls a similar feeling taking place in Detroit’s locker room. As he revealed, Johnson didn’t even know what he was going to do about 24 hours before he eventually decided to accept Chicago’s offer.
“I wasn’t surprised he left, but I think we were all thrown off that he picked Chicago,” Anzalone admitted on “The Schultz Report.” “I remember seeing him in the weight room, probably like 24 hours or so (before he joined the Bears), I asked him, ‘Hey man, what are you going to do?’ He’s like, ‘I don’t know.’ There’s bad blood between the two organizations, and it’s a good rivalry.”
Ben Johnson Looking to Help Bears Take Next Step Forward in 2026
Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: Ben Johnson Bears Defense News
GettyBears head coach Ben Johnson.
Johnson will always have a special place in the hearts of Lions fans, but there’s no doubt that one of his primary goals is going to involve beating his former team twice a season for years to come. And based on how the 2025 campaign unfolded, you can bet that the Bears and their fans are happy to have Johnson on this side of the rivalry now.
Advancing all the way to the divisional round of the playoffs last year has provided Chicago with quite a few reasons for optimism this offseason. It’s clear that this team could become a title contender in the near future, though, so the bar is only going to continue to get raised moving forward. Johnson has proven himself capable of meeting expectations early in his tenure with the Bears, and he will look to continue that trend in 2026.