How much will Ben Johnson make as Bears’ head coach? Diving into his mammoth contract
After going great lengths to bring Ben Johnson on board, the Bears are reportedly paying him $5 million more than average first-year coaches.
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Ben Johnson (Via ABC7 Chicago)
The Chicago Bears are entering an exciting new chapter in their franchise history with the hiring of Ben Johnson as their new head coach, for whom they went to great lengths, even discussing plans to fly to Michigan to demonstrate their commitment to bringing him on board.
Although that plan ultimately did not materialize, it underscores the Bears’ determination to have Johnson lead the team, especially given the high demand among other franchises seeking his coaching talent.
As the season concluded for the Detroit Lions with a comprising defeat at the hands of Washington Commanders, Johnson finally decided to move on from Detroit. And he landed in the Windy City, where the Bears have emphasized the “culture and quarterback” Caleb Williams to convince the Lions offensive coordinator to capitalize on both.
After acquiring Johnson, the next big question that the Bears had to deal with was determining the future of General Manager Ryan Poles. Courtesy of new head coach Johnson, the Bears are reportedly extending him to align with the tenure of Johnson.
Ben Johnson signs lucrative contract after extensive pursuit
Speaking of contracts, the Bears reportedly fully committed to compensating their new head coach appropriately, especially considering the significant efforts they made to bring him on board. In the words of an ESPN source close to the franchise, the Bears “didn’t cut corners” in offering a mammoth contract to Johnson.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Johnson is likely to make $13 million annually in the five-year contract signed with the franchise, which is $5 million higher than the average of $8 million for first-year head coaches. Since Johnson does not have head coaching experience, the explosive offense of the Lions accumulated by Johnson is the reason why the Bears are putting high confidence in him.
According to @ProFootballTalk the contact for 1st year HC Ben Johnson is around $13 million per year.
— Bears Nation (@BearsNationCHI) January 20, 2025
No mention of length. #BearsNation
To put his new contract in perspective, he would rank among the top 10 highest-paid head coaches in the league, above the Baltimore Ravens’ John Harbaugh with $12 million. As per Front Office Sports, the highest-paid coach is Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs, with a staggering $20 million annually, followed by Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos with $18 million.
Other notable figures including Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers, Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers with $16 million, Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams with $15 million, and Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers with $14 million, sit above Johnson’s record-breaking salary, making him the seventh highest-paid.
But the lucrative contract comes with a boatload of expectations. Once he takes over the Bears team in the offseason, he will have to meet the great expectations set by the franchise. Along with developing the 2024 first-overall pick, the Bears aim for their first playoff appearance next year for the first time since 2020.
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Pratyusha Srivastava
(2179 Articles Published)