The Chicago Bears have completed another interview for their head coach job, but the urgency they showed in scheduling their most recent sit-down may have more to do with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
On Sunday, the Bears announced that they had completed an interview with Tennessee State head coach Eddie George — a former NFL running back — for their head-coaching vacancy, making him the 17th known candidate to formally interview for the position.
“We have completed an interview with head coach candidate Eddie George,” the Bears wrote on their official X account on January 19.
George is a candidate with plenty of merit. He has rebuilt the culture and reputation of Tennessee State’s football program over the past four seasons, helping his Tigers reach the FCS playoffs and earning Big South-OVC Coach of the Year honors. The 51-year-old also has his background in offense, making him an ideal, on-paper fit for the job
The timing of George’s interview is suspect, though. Fox Sports insider Jay Glazer broke the news about the Bears’ intention to interview him in the immediate aftermath of the Lions’ divisional-round loss to the Washington Commanders on Saturday night. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin later confirmed that the Bears would meet with George in person.
The significance is the Bears must conduct two in-person interviews with minority or female candidates to comply with the NFL’s Rooney Rule and cannot hire a head coach until they have done so. With George’s interview, though, they are now in compliance with the rule and are free to hire a candidate — say, Johnson — as soon as they want.
Bears Must Act Quickly With Ben Johnson Now Available
Rumors about the Bears’ urgency and how it might relate to Johnson followed shortly behind Glazer’s initial report. Many had expected the Lions — the No. 1 seed — would not falter against the Commanders — the No. 7 seed — and that Johnson would not have an opportunity to talk with teams again until after the conference championship games.
With the Lions now eliminated, though, Johnson is allowed to start taking in-person or virtual interviews with teams as soon as Monday and can accept a job whenever he feels he has found the right fit. In other words, the Bears must work quickly if they want him.
The Bears’ job should appeal to Johnson in at least some ways. They have quarterback Caleb Williams — whom Johnson has praised in the past — at the helm of their offense. They also have a significant amount of offseason reasons to acquire more talent, from their $66 million in projected cap space to three of the first 41 picks in the NFL draft.
The Bears are not the only ones in pursuit of Johnson, though.
Raiders to Make ‘Big Push’ for Ben Johnson’s Services
According to CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones, the Raiders are preparing to make a “big push” for Johnson in the week ahead with rumors hot about their interest in him.
“You have [Raiders minority owner Tom] Brady, [controlling owner Mark] Davis and three other billionaire part-owners who have been doing these searches,” Jones said Sunday. “Now, Brady has his eyes on John Spytek to be his GM and some wonder if he’ll go with someone familiar with Johnson at GM to make sure he lands the coach. Johnson is going to decide tonight where and when he will interview.”
The Raiders have been heavily connected to Johnson since the first week of the 2025 hiring cycle when reports about their interest in him began to emerge. Specifically, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported that Brady is “personally recruiting” Johnson.
As Jones noted, the Raiders may also find that their general manager vacancy works in their favor when it comes to landing Johnson if he seeks alignment with his new boss. They certainly suggested it would when they interviewed Lance Newmark — a former director of player personnel for the Lions who has direct ties to Johnson — on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Bears are still committed — at least publicly — to Ryan Poles returning for his fourth season as general manager, but it remains to be seen whether they have a change of heart about his job security if it precludes them from hiring Johnson.
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