Former 34-win Bears HC drops blunt advice for Ben Johnson on taking over franchise

Former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was the most coveted head coaching candidate this offseason. He interviewed with several teams, including the New England Patriots, who hired franchise icon Mike Vrabel as their new head coach, and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The 38-year-old weighed his options, even turning down the New Orleans Saints' request to interview for their head coaching vacancy, and eventually decided to stay in the NFC North and join the Lions' divisional rivals, the Chicago Bears.

While he prepares steadfastly for his rookie season as a head coach, Matt Nagy, the last coach to lead the Bears to a winning record (34-31 overall), had a word of advice on how to win over the passionate fanbase in Windy City.

During a conversation with a report during the Super Bowl Opening Night in New Orleans, the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator sent a message to Johnson, saying:

"Win. And beat the Packers."

The Bears haven't finished above .500 since the 2018 season and finished the 2024 campaign with a 5-12 record. However, they have a potential superstar quarterback in Caleb Williams, a good receiving core that many believe underperformed last year, a defense that played well until the team fired head coach Matt Eberflus, and $65 million in cap space, the fourth-most this offseason.

Bears vs. Packers record: Can Ben Johnson turn the tide of the lopsided rivalry?

The Bears and Packers' rivalry is the oldest in NFL history. The two NFC North giants first battled in 1921 and have since met 210 times. While both teams had their eras of dominating the other, games have often turned out to be close. However, the last 15 years have been painful for Chicago.

Since the 2011 season, the Bears have only won three games against their divisional rivals. Moreover, they lost 11 straight games before their Week 18 win over their arch-rivals. However, that victory came against their backups as they had rested their starters ahead of their playoff duel against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Bears fans will hope that Johnson can lead the franchise to a high-profile win over the Packers when the two teams meet for the first time next season and signal the beginning of a new era in Chicago.