Chicago Bears Sep 24, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Chicago Bears helmet and ball cap against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
ArticlesNFLBy Reice Shipley on

This past season, the Chicago Bears fell short of the lofty expectations that most had on the team heading into Caleb Williams’ rookie season in the NFL. But as the team goes forward in a new direction, expectations have also risen thanks to the new coaching staff in place in Chicago.

Earlier this week, the Bears shockingly made a move for a division rival, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, hiring him to become the next head coach of the Bears.

Johnson has of course been praised heavily for the work he has done in reviving the Lions offense over the past two seasons, which helped turn the Lions into true NFC North contenders.

The Bears will now hope that Johnson can have a similar impact with Caleb Williams for years to come. And so far, it seems like sportsbooks are buying the hype when it comes to the hiring of Ben Johnson.

Before hiring Ben Johnson, the Bears sat at 60-1 odds to win the Super Bowl next season on DraftKings Sportsbook. After the move became official, the Bears odds dramatically jumped all the way up to 40-1.

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This means that at least when it comes to DraftKings Sportsbook, The Bears are 33 percent more likely to win the Super Bowl this coming season with Johnson than without.

Obviously, the Bears are still significant underdogs to go from the worst team in the NFC North to winning the Super Bowl. But clearly, oddsmakers see the hiring of Ben Johnson as a significant step in the right direction.

Meanwhile, Bears fans appear to be optimistic about the hiring but aren’t quite ready to say that they are Super Bowl contenders just yet…

“Lol alright don’t gas us,” one Bears fan joked in a post on X.

“Alright we gotta chill out for a moment, folks,” wrote another Bears fan on X.

Ultimately, there is still plenty of work to be done to turn the Bears into a contender even with Ben Johnson in town. But this move is at least bringing some positive momentum to the Bears on paper.

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

View all posts by Reice Shipley