All through the NFL season, quite a few reporters and analysts named Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as the favourite to become the subsequent head coach of the Chicago Bears, partly as a result of Chicago has a promising younger quarterback in 2024 rookie Caleb Williams.
It seems Johnson could finally find yourself working with a special first-overall draft selection.
For an article printed on Thursday morning, ESPN NFL insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano revealed that “Johnson is intrigued by” presumably turning into the subsequent head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars “however may need his personal common supervisor in place” as a substitute of present Jaguars GM Trent Baalke. The story added that Jacksonville, not Chicago, “continues to be the spot most individuals appear to have pegged for Johnson assuming he is good with the entrance workplace construction.”
A lot was made all through the 2024 season about how Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence noticeably regressed after he signed a five-year contract extension price as much as $275M this previous June. Based on Pro Football Reference, Lawrence ended the marketing campaign ranked seventeenth within the NFL with a 59.2 adjusted QBR, twenty eighth with an 85.2 passer ranking, twenty first with a forty five.4% passing success fee and thirty seventh with a 60.6% completion proportion.
Jacksonville shut Lawrence down in early December so he might bear shoulder surgical procedure.
“As for the desirability of the job,” Graziano stated in regards to the Jaguars’ opening, “I feel there might be individuals who wish to work with Lawrence and an proprietor who hasn’t been scared to spend on gamers. Lawrence has flaws, however he is clearly somebody you possibly can win video games with and, in contrast to just a few of those different conditions, the quarterback scenario in Jacksonville is secure for years to return.”
In the meantime, a Bears staff supply not too long ago informed ESPN’s Courtney Cronin that Chicago will try to indicate head-coach candidates throughout interviews “that it is a first-class group.” Numerous analysts beforehand ripped the Bears for primarily failing quarterback Justin Fields throughout his three-year tenure with the membership, and the franchise’s culture seemingly comes into query on a yearly foundation.
“Lawrence is barely 25 years previous, so it is not as if all of the hay is within the barn on his improvement,” Graziano added. “My guess is working with him might be interesting to prime offensive-minded candidates.”
