Typically during the Bears season, I start my day with a YouTube stream of ESPN 1000 or 670 The Score. Kap & J. Hood hosted NFL insider Albert Breer and I was fascinated by this interview. The interview was largely the same as you'd expect until, when asked about the factors driving a possible decision for general manager Ryan Poles this offseason, he dropped this little nugget that's familiar to just about every Bears fan on social media made his voice heard in the media

Twitter/X user @Bearlissimo1 clipped this from the interview:

All rights @ESPN1000 @kapjhood @thekapman @adamabdalla @xjhoodespn “There were some who said that was what he wanted.” #BenJohnson #DaBears #Eberflus pic.twitter.com/eI9v9CuRHz– Bearlissimo (@Bearlissimo1) October 29, 2024

Albert Breer on Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and his connection to the Chicago Bears as the Bears' hypothetical head coach candidate:

“He was definitely linked to the Chicago job last year. There were some people who thought that was what he wanted. And obviously it wouldn’t open.”

Sunday felt like a potential turning point in the Matt Eberflus era in Chicago. And while there's still a lot of season ahead of us, the real test for Eberflus will come when the division gauntlet comes around in three weeks. How he responds to the gauntlet will either bring us back to further conversations between the Bears and potential future head coach candidates or get us to a point where fans will feel comfortable with Coach Flus. In the meantime, Bears fans can't listen to this clip without thinking about it What if that comes with this clip from Albert Breer from MMQB.

Are Ben Johnson and the Bears a potential match?

The timing of this report from Breer does not appear to be a coincidence. Ben Johnson was arguably the hottest name on the head coaching market last offseason (along with Jim Harbaugh). He appeared to be close to getting the job in Washington before ultimately deciding to stay in Detroit for another year as the offensive coordinator. Why would he pass up a head coaching job at a team with brand new ownership and the second overall pick? I suppose it's possible he had another eye on him and knew that staying with the Lions for another year wouldn't hurt his claim at all.

As we continue to connect the dots, Albert Breer's coverage of the Bears is pretty spot on. For example, Breer was at the forefront of reporting on Caleb Williams joining the Chicago Bears. The SI report initially included details from the team meeting, providing insight into the decision-making process and insight into how they got a head start on a development plan. Breer was also at the forefront of reporting nuggets and tidbits from Justin Fields trade observation and insight into the Bears' dealings as they attempted to complete a trade for Matthew Judon.

Seeing this decline just a day after the pretty devastating consequences of a terrible loss makes it feel like it wasn't an accident.

We explored Ben Johnson as someone the Bears should keep an eye on as a future head coach candidate when things started to unravel last November. Keep in mind that Johnson reportedly demanded an astronomical price to be hired as head coach. (Luis: And now I'm wondering if this was brought in to scare teams away while he waited for another opening.) But if both sides want to reach a deal, they'll find a way.

If the job became available, Johnson and the Bears would be a perfect fit. He's one of the sharpest young offensive minds in the game, and Chicago has a rookie quarterback who has not only already shown all the physical potential you could want, but also appears to have the football IQ to beat just about anyone to lead the offensive.

NFL stories like this rarely make it to the public unless someone wants them published. Coaches, GMs and players all have relationships with league insiders. If you give them information they don't want to reveal, it won't become public at the risk of the relationship breaking down. The fact that Breer appeared on a Chicago radio show two days after one of the worst defeats in recent memory, largely due to coaching errors, and said that this offseason's hottest head coaching candidate wanted the Bears job last year seems no coincidence to be.

This could all be nothing. But in a league where there are no coincidences, this story seems like something. Stay tuned.