Dan Campbell will be a proud papa listening to former Lions OC Ben Johnson
The Detroit Lions were not happy to lose former OC Ben Johnson this offseason. Johnson left Detroit to join Chicago as their next head coach, a move he had put off for a few years now. He had positive things to say about the Lions just weeks before the regular season.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson praised his former mentor Dan Campbell during an interview on Wednesday.
“I take a lot [from Detroit] because the story of my career has been more losing than it has been winning,” Johnson said on Up & Adams with Kay Adams. “So I've seen more ways not to do it. Detroit was really the first way I've seen to do it and have success. Particularly turning that place completely around. I was a part of that and I really enjoyed my time there, of course.”
Johnson pointed directly to Campbell as the leader of the entire organization. He also assigned credit to other key figures like GM Brad Holmes and owner Sheila Ford Hamp.
“Dan spearheaded it and so did Brad, Sheila, all the way on down,” Johnson continued. “There's a number of things, with the alignment up top, that I think was second to none over there. I wish them nothing but the best, all but two games this year.”
Johnson made it clear that his relationships with players and coaches are what he loves most about his career. He still has plenty of love for the Lions organization.
“There's a number of people that I love there,” Johnson concluded. “Those relationships is why you do what you do. So we're looking to build something special here in Chicago now.”
Johnson can test his mettle against Campbell and the Lions for the first time in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season.
Will the Lions take a step back in 2025 after coordinator departures?
There is plenty of anxiety around Detroit about replacing Johnson and Aaron Glenn.
The Lions brought in John Morton as their next OC and promoted LBs coach Kelvin Sheppard to DC earlier this offseason. Both Morton and Sheppard have big shoes to fill.
Conventional wisdom suggests that each coordinator will require some time before they are comfortable in their new role.
But how big of a problem should this be for Detroit?
The presence of Dan Campbell, and limited turnover on the roster, should allow the Lions to maintain some level of normalcy. Ultimately, the first few weeks of the season should reveal how much things have changed, if at all, in Detroit.
The Lions may not win 15 games again in 2025. But they should still be one of the NFC's best teams.
