Ben Johnson has already explained exactly why he shouldn't take the Bears job

Few NFL head coaches have the luxury of job security. With only 32 coaching roles available, getting the job is nearly as hard as keeping it. There is no shortage of competition for the positions and patience wears thin rapidly. 

For better or worse, coaching turnover reshapes the league on an annual basis. Somewhere between one-fourth to one-third of NFL teams overhaul their coaching staffs each offseason. Often times, it leads to instability and disaster. 

Over the past two seasons, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has emerged as one of the leading candidates for head coaching vacancies across the league. Although the offensive-minded coach was interviewed for several positions during the previous coaching cycle, he ultimately opted to remain in Detroit as the team’s offensive coordinator.

Ben Johnson doesn’t want a HC role with a dysfunctional team

Murmurs of Johnson’s potential head coaching opportunities have begun to grow once again, but the young coordinator has shown the wisdom to have patience. During the offseason, Johnson explained his decision to forego potential coaching positions during the past coaching cycle.

“Something that really resonates with me is – OK, eight openings this past year,” Johnson said in May, via USA Today. “What would you set the over-under in three years for how many still have jobs? I would put the over/under at four and a half. I would say there’s a good chance that five of them are out of jobs in three years. When I look at it from that perspective, if I get the opportunity to go down that road, it’s about how do I get to that second contract? How do I set myself up that the stars need to align?”

Of the eight new head coaches hired after the 2023 season, only three — Jim Harbaugh, Dan Quinn and Raheem Morris — currently hold a playoff spot. Meanwhile, another three — Brian Callahan, Jerod Mayo and Antonio Pierce — are currently tied for the NFL’s second-worst record this season.

Rather than taking any job offered to him, Johnson clearly has the foresight to avoid joining teams that are doomed to sink. The New York Jets, for example, are unlikely to find success while team owner Woody Johnson is making personnel decisions based on player ratings from the “Madden NFL” video game.

Johnson has frequently been linked to the Chicago Bears, who have desperately needed a head coach who can guide them to stability.