According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, “the early figure on the NFL grapevine for the Ben Johnson contract in Chicago is $13 million per year.”
A source who spoke with Florio clarified that the $13 million per year figure is “speculation” at this point.
Florio mentions that the typical entry-level salary for a head coach is around $8 million per season, so this would be a pretty sizable jump above that.
Johnson has been one of the top coaching candidates for three straight cycles now and has a very strong resume as any first-time head-coaching candidate.
Reports from last year mentioned that Johnson’s salary demands scared some interested teams and he ultimately opted to return to the Lions.
The Bears likely had to pay a bit of a premium to lure one of the best available coaching candidates.
Chicago is clearly excited about what Johnson can do with former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams in the years to come and if he’s able to get them back in contention for the NFC North title, the $13 million or so they’re paying him would be well worth it.
Johnson, 38, started his coaching career with Boston College in 2009 as a graduate assistant. From there, Johnson coached tight ends for the 2011 season.
The Dolphins hired Johnson in 2012 as an offensive assistant and he was later promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach in 2013.
Johnson coached tight ends and wide receivers with the Dolphins until 2019 before the Lions hired him as a quality control coach. He coached tight ends for the Lions in 2020 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022.
In 2024, the Lions offense ranked No. 1 in yards per game and No. 1 in points per game, including No. 2 in passing yards per game and No. 6 in rushing yards per game.
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