Ryan Poles, Kevin Warren, George McCaskey detail how Bears acquired Ben Johnson
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Kevin Warren recently was out to dinner when someone sent a drink his way. The Bears president saw something was written on the napkin below it. He absorbed the message, smiled, and put the paper product in his pocket and eventually in his desk drawer.
“I looked at it this morning,” Warren said. “It says, ‘Please hire Ben Johnson.’ “
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Warren, general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears did exactly that. They defied some reasonable expectation by acting fast, doing whatever was necessary to secure their top head coach choice.
Johnson became available after the Detroit Lions lost to the Washington Commanders on Saturday night. By Monday afternoon, Johnson and the Bears had agreed on terms of a contract.
The Bears were swift and decisive, leaving nothing to chance. That brought great joy to the fan base. If the move has its desired effect, Johnson will lead Chicago back to prominence as a playoff contender set up well for sustained success.
Warren will be able to fondly look back on this hire, as the moment that fortunes finally turned around. And that napkin will contain a powerful meaning.
“So, actually I saved it,” Warren said. “I’m going to give it to Ben, and hopefully, if we do what we’re supposed to do, one day that note will be framed on someone’s wall.”
Johnson was the Bears’ top candidate before the initial and only interview with him during this process. They had done due diligence on Johnson, speaking with former coaches and colleagues who played with him at North Carolina and coached with him at Boston College, the Miami Dolphins and the Lions. They knew the football prowess by watching Lions tape. They learned about the man by speaking with those who knew him best.
Then Johnson did something that gave the Bears great confidence. He was forthcoming about his interest in this job.
“The first words out of his mouth were, ‘I want this job,’ ” Bears chairman George McCaskey said in a press conference. “The last thing he said before we turned off the camera was, ‘Did I tell you that I want this job?’ “
Johnson’s belief was emboldened by the conversation, and his decision become clear in the days after that.
“It did not take me long particularly with that first interview in the back of my head,” Johnson said. “I had already been in this city. I know what this city is about. It just simply did not take me a long time to decide that this is where I wanted to be, I wanted my family to be. And these are the people that I wanted to be around.”
And when Johnson became eligible for hire, the Bears acted fast.
“Ryan said, ‘This is the guy we want,’ ” McCaskey said, “and I said, ‘Go get him.’ ”
The Bears went so fast that they didn’t need a second in-person interview, and Johnson didn’t demand to take one. The deal was wrapped quickly, and the Bears had their man.
“This is a situation where we needed to make sure we got the No. 1 candidate,” Warren said. “And it’s not about the No. 1 candidate. It’s about the No. 1 candidate for the Chicago Bears. All the other financial issues, those are things we have to be smart with our money and make good decisions. When things work out well, no one ever talks about the finances. It’s up to us to make sure we hire good assistant coaches.
“We have a world-class head coach. We have world-class players, and we need to make sure we honor — our way to say thank you to George Halas and what he has built here and the McCaskey family is to be successful. I think it’s a testament for our players to be here today. You see how Ben and his family operate. This is just a great day for the Chicago Bears. I’m looking forward to moving forward together.”