If someone had predicted a year ago that Ben Johnson would be leading the Chicago Bears to a playoff appearance while the Detroit Lions watched from home, the reaction in Detroit would’ve been disbelief.

Yet that unlikely scenario has become reality. Johnson’s debut season in Chicago has reshaped the NFC North, and now his rapid success could unexpectedly create an opportunity for the Lions.

Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports that Chicago is preparing for the possibility of losing several members of its coaching staff this offseason. That development carries real significance for Detroit.

After all, the Lions were on the other side of that equation just one year ago.
Chicago Bracing for Assistant Coach Departures
Johnson didn’t engineer Chicago’s turnaround on his own, and league executives are well aware of the talent around him.

According to Jones, multiple Bears assistants are drawing strong interest for coordinator-level roles across the NFL, including:
Declan Doyle — Offensive Coordinator
Although he isn’t the primary play-caller, Doyle worked closely with Johnson throughout the season. Still under 30, he’s already viewed as one of the league’s emerging coaching minds.

Press Taylor — Passing Game Coordinator
Taylor has rebuilt his reputation in Chicago, distancing himself from his previous tenure under Doug Pederson and gaining renewed respect for his work in the passing game.

J.T. Barrett — Quarterbacks Coach
The former Ohio State standout is rising quickly through coaching circles and has earned praise for his work developing quarterbacks.
Eric Bieniemy — Running Backs Coach
A two-time Super Bowl–winning offensive coordinator, Bieniemy has reestablished his value while overseeing a productive Bears backfield that surpassed 2,100 total yards from scrimmage.

While Chicago can prevent interviews for Doyle, the organization has no such leverage when it comes to the other assistants.
That reality opens a door.

Dan Campbell Could Look to Chicago for Answers
Jones notes that league insiders expect Dan Campbell to search for a new offensive coordinator, and one of the most obvious talent pools sits right in Chicago.
Yes — the same city that pried Ben Johnson away from Detroit.
It’s ironic. It’s cyclical. And it’s very on-brand for the NFL.

If Campbell turns to Johnson’s coaching tree, the Lions could:
• Regain some of the creativity they lost
• Strengthen their own staff
• Simultaneously weaken a division rival
That’s the league’s ecosystem at work. Successful staffs inevitably get picked apart, turning today’s innovators into tomorrow’s coaching pipelines.
Detroit experienced that pain firsthand last offseason.

Why This Matters for the Lions
The Lions aren’t just searching for “any” coordinator. They need a leader who can deliver:
• A modern, flexible passing offense
• Quarterback-friendly concepts
• Cohesion between the run and pass game
• Strong red-zone planning
• Calm decision-making in critical moments
Those qualities defined Ben Johnson’s tenure in Detroit.

If Campbell can bring in one of Johnson’s protégés, the Lions could reclaim part of that offensive identity — while also slowing Chicago’s momentum within the division.
That isn’t just replacing a coach.
It’s calculated, competitive roster-building — on the sideline.

The Bears rose quickly under Ben Johnson, but the NFL rarely allows elite coaching staffs to remain intact for long. If Chicago experiences the same offseason departures Detroit faced a year ago, the balance of power could shift once again.

And if Dan Campbell ends up pulling a key assistant from Johnson’s staff?
It wouldn’t merely fill a vacancy.
It would complete a full-circle moment — one that turns last year’s setback into this year’s opportunity.
In the NFL, timing matters.
And sometimes, the pendulum really does swing back the other way.