For the first time in his career, Ben Johnson will be a head coach for the 2025 NFL season.
The former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator was the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year for 2024 and he has been rewarded by the Chicago Bears. Johnson will take charge of a new-look Bears team for the upcoming season.
Johnson was officially unveiled as the new Bears coach back in January, although details of his contract were not initially made public. But we now know that Johnson has been handed a five-year deal worth $65 millionworking out at $13 million per season.
The 39-year-old is a first time head coach in the NFL but his salary will rank among the highest in the league. Sports Illustrated reports that Johnson is now the seventh-highest earner in the NFLahead of long-serving coaches like Nick Sirriani and Sean McDermott.
The young coach is highly rated but he joins an organization that has been starved of success for more than a decade. The Chicago Bears have not made the playoffs since 2020 and have not won a postseason game since 2010when they made it through to the NFC Championship game. Nevertheless, Johnson insists that this ais a good spot for him to start his career as the main man.
During his introductory press conference earlier this year, Johnson explained why the Bears were the perfect fit for him.
“It was clear to me from the beginning that the priorities were straight,” Johnson said. “There’s only one way for us to have success here and that’s (having) the right people in place.
“We’re going to push. We’re going to challenge. And along with those high standards, there’s also going to be a high level of support as well. Everybody in this building is going to be all about helping you guys out.”
He continued: “How do you become the best versions of yourselves? That’s what it’s going to be about from start to finish. When you walk in, it’s going to be crystal clear—the communication, the structure and consistency—and that will never waver.”
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