NFL Rumors: Bears unbothered by Tom Brady's Raiders prior to landing Ben Johnson as HC

Tom Brady has been an outsized presence in NFL circles this year. After officially embarking on a new career with a $375 million deal with Fox to step into the broadcasting booth, the seven-time Super Bowl champion has also confirmed a seat at the NFL owners' table. Brady's purchase of a 5% stake in the Las Vegas Raiders was finalized toward the end of the year.

Since then, the Raiders have dismantled their previous front office and let go of coach Antonio Pierce. In came former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek, with Seattle Seahawks icon Pete Carroll taking over as head coach.

The Raiders' hire of Carroll came pretty late after Black Monday. He and former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson were seen as the likeliest options to take over, but when all was said and done, the Bears moved quickly to have talks with Johnson after the Lions crashed out of the playoffs.

According to an ESPN report, the Bears did not give the idea of competing with Brady's Raiders for Johnson's services any thought.

"Though the Bears wanted to respect Johnson's time and space, there also was a sense of urgency," the report read. "There was a feeling Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady was making a push for Johnson, and even if the Bears didn't believe that to be true, there were other openings Johnson might consider."

For what it's worth, Johnson's agent, Rick Smith, also made it clear that the Raiders weren't under consideration despite Tom Brady's team making a compelling case for the former Lions OC.

NFL: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Source: Imagn

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Tom Brady's Raiders making impressive moves to flesh out coaching staff

While the Raiders took their own sweet time to name Pete Carroll as their next coach, they didn't wait all that long to get Carroll some help when it came to his coaching staff.

Carroll retained holdovers from Antonio Pierce's staff, including defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and special teams coach Tom McMahon. Both coaches are entering their fourth season in Las Vegas under three different head coaches.

In another stunning move, the Raiders have reportedly come to terms with Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly to make him their new (and potentially the league's highest-paid) offensive coordinator. Kelly will reportedly earn a salary of $6 million in Vegas.

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