Bears interview Lions OC for head coach job

NFL NOTES

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Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson looks on from the sidelines during the first half of a game against the Chicago Bears on Dec. 22, 2024, in Chicago. KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

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CHICAGO >> The Chicago Bears have interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for their head coaching position, the team said on social media Saturday.

The Lions earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs this season after leading the league in points per game and finishing second in yards passing and total yards per game.

Johnson was promoted in 2022 after spending three seasons with Detroit in various roles. He helped lead the Lions to the NFC championship game last season.

The Bears interviewed former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka on Thursday. They interviewed former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel on Wednesday.

The Bears seek a replacement for Matt Eberflus, who was fired during the season after the team struggled to a 4-8 start. The team finished with a 5-12 record, last in the NFC North.

Falcons make changes >> The Atlanta Falcons fired defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers on Saturday following first-year coach Raheem Morris’ sharp criticism of his defense’s disappointing finish.

The Falcons (8-9) missed the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season following a 44-38 overtime loss to Carolina on Sunday.

“After a thorough evaluation of the season, and with careful consideration for our team’s future, we deemed these moves necessary,” Morris said in a two-paragraph statement released by the team. “These decisions are never easy from the human side of things and we wish Jimmy, Jay and their families the best.”

The Falcons’ late-season benching of quarterback Kirk Cousins and three-game audition of rookie Michael Penix Jr. as the new starter entering the 2025 season was the biggest news of the season, but Morris focused on the disappointing late showing by the defense following the loss to the Panthers.

Morris said following the game he was “really shocked” and “really disappointed in our defense.”

The staff changes were not a surprise.

On Monday, when asked about the status of Lake and if he anticipated making changes on the staff, Morris said: “I’ve been around the league for a while and very rarely do things stay the same.”