Bryan Perez
Chicago Bears fans have seen first-round picks, high-priced free agents, and even No. 1 overall quarterbacks yell it. However, it was extra special when new head coach Ben Johnson ‘Bear’d Down’ during his first message to the fanbase on Tuesday.
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Johnson’s excitement to be in Chicago, to be part of the Bears organization, is obvious. It’s no surprise it didn’t take long — like, 24 hours — for him to agree to become the team’s head coach. As he said several times on Tuesday, the Chicago Bears are the team he wanted to be with; Chicago is where he wanted to be.
Refreshing, isn’t it? The Bears didn’t land Ben Johnson by offering the biggest paycheck (though he’s expected to earn over $13 million per season). Instead, they won him over by presenting a rare opportunity—a team with a solid roster and an elite quarterback.
“My family and I are incredibly blessed and fortunate to take this next step in our journey, and I cannot wait to lead our players, our support staff and organization, while doing so at the service of Bears fans,” Johnson said in a statement. “We are looking forward to fully ingraining ourselves in the great city of Chicago, as we work to create an impact in this special community. I am excited to partner with Ryan and the entire organization as we work to create a championship-caliber program. We are ready to get to work.