3 Players Ben Johnson Could Lure to the Chicago Bears After Hiring

The Chicago Bears' head coaching search came to an end early Monday afternoon when they hired the hottest name available. According to Tom Pelissero, the Bears are finalizing a deal to hire Ben Johnson.

Johnson's hiring marks one of the few times the organization made the obvious hire. Furthermore, Johnson being named the next head coach before the Super Bowl allows the team to focus all efforts on roster building going forward.

This will allow the Bears to scout players who fit Johnson's system and acquire them through free agency or the draft. With that in mind, here are three players who Johnson could lure to Chicago this offseason.

1. Najee Harris, RB

Over Johnson's last two seasons in Detroit, he has helped create the best running game in the NFL This was achieved by pairing a power back in David Montgomery with a speed back in Jahmyr Gibbs. Although Gibbs proved he possessed power in his game this season, his main threat is still his speed.

In 2024, both backs rushed for over 1,000 yards, so it's pretty clear that running is a huge part of Johnson's offensive identity. That said, the Bears don't currently have the best backfield. D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson both struggled to find consistency behind a bad offensive line, an issue that Johnson will need to help fix.

Even so, Johnson could look at both backs and think they are replaceable. Heck, he's already replaced Swift once in Detroit. That could leave the door open for a running back like Najee Harris.

Much like Montgomery, Harris's strength is power. In four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Harris has never rushed for fewer than 1,000 yards. Nevertheless, Harris has never averaged more than 4.1 yards per carry, proving that he doesn't possess the same power-speed blend as Montgomery does.

Yet, Johnson may still look at Harris's power and want to bring that into his offense. Maybe paring Swift and Harris could produce similar results as Montgomery and Swift.