Top Chicago Bears Insider Reveals Who They Will Hire As Head Coach
Three years ago, in 2022, at this same exact time, Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog went on the Irish Bears Show to talk about the fate of GM Ryan Pace. He stated without preamble that the Chicago Bears planned to fire the general manager and seek a replacement. Mere hours later, the news broke that Pace was indeed out. That was the first undeniable confirmation that Hughes had legitimate NFL contacts with accurate information regarding the Bears. So, one can imagine the antennas went up when he once again decided to appear on the Irish Bears Show this week.
Sure enough, he didn’t disappoint. After a long discussion about the state of the team and the coaching search, the inevitable question was asked. Who does Hughes believe the Bears will hire as the 19th head coach in franchise history? His answer was immediate.
These are undoubtedly the two words Bears fans were hoping for. Johnson’s name is widely considered the best on the market this year. He’s the hottest offensive mind in the NFL and is rumored to have eyed the job since January last year.
The Chicago Bears’ interest in Johnson dates back to the middle of 2023.
Sources told SM that Ryan Poles began researching the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator around that time when it was clear Matt Eberflus was on thin ice. After the Bears chose to keep the head coach another year, Johnson decided to stay in Detroit. As luck would have it, the job came open this time, and the young coach remains available. Other teams are pushing to woo Johnson, notably Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders. However, it appears Poles is determined to get his guy.
People have been troubled about the Chicago Bears’ massive coaching search over the past week, encompassing 20 candidates now. Some believe it is a bloated and unfocused approach because they have no clue who they want. In reality, this might be a way to bide their time and gather information until their actual target is available. Remember, Johnson can’t be hired until Detroit is eliminated from the playoffs. This forces Chicago to wait. Until then, there is no harm in getting a feel for the landscape.