NFL

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has agreed to develop into head coach of the Chicago Bears, an individual accustomed to the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity since the deal was just finalized.

Johnson, 38, was Detroit's offensive coordinator for 3 seasons under Dan Campbell. He helped turn Jared Goff into one in all the NFL's best quarterbacks and was widely considered one of the best head coaching candidate in the marketplace.

The Lions went 15-2 and secured first place within the NFC before being overwhelmed by Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in a divisional playoff game on Saturday. Detroit led the league in points per game and ranked second in passing yards and total yards per game throughout the regular season.

The Bears released Matt Eberflus on November 29 and temporarily replaced him with Thomas Brown. Chicago finished last within the NFC North at 5-12 and lost 10 in a row before closing the season with a win at Green Bay.

Developing quarterback Caleb Williams can be Johnson's top priority after the Bears suffered their fourth straight losing season. The No. 1 pick in last yr's draft threw for 3,541 yards, 20 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. But he was fired, a franchise record and league-leading 68 times.

Johnson has a fan in Williams.

“I think it was really cool to watch,” Williams said two weeks ago because the Bears cleaned out their lockers. “During our game I sat back, watched and tried to learn something. It was fascinating to watch. He had wrinkles the whole game for counterattacks and things like that.”

Johnson had strong praise for Williams before the Bears faced the Lions in Week 16.

“There’s no doubt this guy is talented. I remember standing on the sideline last game and hearing the ball whistle past me,” Johnson said.

“He has a pretty fast ball and a certain creativity, can extend plays and is also precise on the field. Like I said, I didn’t really get into it and I can tell you a lot more beyond that, but he was impressive from a distance.”

The Bears confirmed they interviewed 17 candidates. That list included former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, and former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel, who got the New England job.

Chicago has made just three playoff appearances since winning the NFC in 2006. The Bears won their only Super Bowl title within the 1985 season.

Chicago hasn't won a postseason game because the team advanced to the conference title game in 2010 under Lovie Smith. Johnson has since develop into their sixth head coach, not counting Brown.

In three years under general manager Ryan Poles, the Bears have a 15-36 record with two double-digit losing streaks. They dropped their final 10 games of 2022 in teardown mode as a part of a franchise-worst 14-game losing streak.

Chicago entered this season in the hunt for a playoff spot after making some high-profile moves within the offseason, highlighted by Williams' arrival and a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for six-time Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen were highlighted. But after a 4-2 start, the season got out of hand.

The NFL's founding team fired a head coach for the primary time during a season when it let Eberflus go after a series of poor decisions late in the sport. The Bears also fired an offensive coordinator for the second time in lower than a yr, with Shane Waldron lasting just nine games after replacing Luke Getsy within the offseason. Brown, who served as passing game coordinator earlier within the season, took over from Waldron and have become interim coach a number of weeks later.

Things got so bad that fans chanted “Sell the team!” throughout the final home game against Seattle – a 6-3 loss in front of a national crowd on a Thursday night.

LAS VEGAS – Jalen Brunson had the prospect to sign the second nine-figure contract of his profession, but was unavailable.

Negotiations on a possible contract extension, for those who may even call it that, couldn't begin until midnight ET on Friday, but long before he heard any legal jargon, the All-Star point guard was in a position to guess his team's offer.

The New York Knicks were near giving Brunson every thing they might, although the deal wouldn't have been appropriate for a player of his caliber.

The team could only pay Brunson a limited amount and was forced to sign a contract that paid him far lower than one he could sign if he waited until the free agent period in 2025 after which prolonged his contract.

Brunson had decided long before he was eligible to play that he desired to stay in New York, that he had fallen in love with the franchise, that he valued the safety of a dollar today over several dollars tomorrow, that he desired to proceed playing for head coach Tom Thibodeau and his Villanova buddies, and that he hoped to compete for a title with a team that sees itself as a title contender next season and beyond.

But when Friday got here, Brunson had more essential things to do.

Instead of specializing in business, Brunson hung out along with his good friend and teammate Josh Hart. He was so wanting to proceed hanging out along with his team that he held off on renewing his contract… because he was too busy hanging out along with his team.

Build him a statue

— Josh Hart (@joshhart) July 12, 2024

Brunson signed the contract extension on Friday afternoon, a historic moment for the Knicks. No one else in league history has re-committed to a franchise in this manner.

The contract extension pays him $156.5 million over 4 years, $113 million less guaranteed than he would have received had he waited until free agency. No player has ever left that much money on the table – especially not one within the early stages of his prime.

The most famous cases of major discounts within the NBA involved players who were already receiving huge salaries. Dirk Nowitzki accepted a three-year, $25 million contract to return to the Dallas Mavericks in 2014. He could have made almost 4 times as much if he had desired to, but Nowitzki was already in his mid-30s. Tim Duncan cut his salary so he could play endlessly with the San Antonio Spurs, but by that time he was already a longtime veteran.

Brunson is selecting the cheaper contract today fairly than becoming a free agent in a 12 months when he can be eligible for a maximum contract valued at $269.1 million over five years.

There was a financial argument for why it was value committing the cash. Brunson valued the safety that a contract extension would supply. That's still more cash than many CEOs make in a lifetime, so he might as well insure against injury.

By signing a contract extension now, he can even be eligible for his next contract extension a 12 months sooner than if he had waited until free agency to sign the five-year deal. Those extra one year might be significant.

But there's a reason this moment is so notable. The Knicks at the moment are back in motion in an era that will likely be dominated by a punitive collective bargaining agreement that may limit the flexibleness of any extremely expensive team.

From a purely financial standpoint, Brunson just did the most important financial favor in NBA history.

And it's not close.

He signed with one priority in mind: He should take every reasonable measure to get to the ring. The Knicks can now look forward knowing they’ve Brunson under a team-friendly contract through no less than 2028. His latest deal takes effect for the 2025-26 season and he has a player option for the ultimate 12 months. It comes with all of the bells and whistles, including a 15 percent trade kicker, a league source said.

New York's hopes of staying under the dreaded second apron not only in 2024-25, but the next season and possibly beyond, just became much more realistic. The Knicks, who traded five first-round picks (including 4 unprotected) for Mikal Bridges earlier this offseason, already imagine their title window is open. Brunson's contract extension has pushed the glass even higher, especially through 2026.

Bridges is on a bargain contract until then, making $23.3 million this season and $24.9 million afterward. Brunson will make about $34.9 million in the primary 12 months of his deal, while the Knicks will spend $153.2 million on nine players: Brunson, Bridges, Hart, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, Donte DiVincenzo, Miles McBride, Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek. The second half of the 12 months is predicted to be about $207.8 million.

A salary cap below $207.8 million would give the Knicks beneficial resources, but in the event that they go over that limit, they’ll say goodbye to the mid-level exception, the power to make most trades, and more.

Brunson could get a likelihood to earn back many of the money he gave up. As detailed earlier this week, the 2028 contract extension will make him a free agent after his tenth 12 months within the NBA. He will likely be eligible for the very best max contract a player can get, value a projected $417 million over five years. If Brunson were to sign that deal, salary increases in 2028-29 and 2029-30 would fill the gap.

But the 12 months 2028 remains to be 4 years in the longer term. Nobody knows what’s going to occur by then.

Players get injured. They regress. Small point guards like Brunson are historically more vulnerable to such mishaps. For whatever reason, the Knicks could slack off by then and judge to go in a distinct direction. They could hire a brand new front office or a brand new coach. This is the NBA, where sweeping changes can occur overnight, let alone 4 years.

There's no guarantee Brunson will get that a reimbursement. But after all, he didn't do it to get wealthy. He did it to present his team the perfect likelihood to win.