Most Chicago Bears fans would not trade their head coach Ben Johnson for anyone. However, one national perspective suggests that there are still several coaches who would be ranked ahead of him. Pat Daugherty of NBC Sports recently ranked the top head coaches in the NFL and placed Johnson at No. 13.
Is Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson being underrated?
Daugherty’s reasoning is largely based on experience and sustained success. Johnson has only been a head coach for one season, while many of the coaches ranked ahead of him have built longer resumes over multiple years. This type of ranking tends to favor consistency over short-term success. Daugherty referenced examples like Chip Kelly, who had early success before falling off, and Bears fans may remember Matt Nagy being viewed in a similar way after winning Coach of the Year.
From that standpoint, the ranking can be viewed as cautious rather than critical. Johnson was still placed ahead of another name in Liam Coen, who has gained similar attention after helping improve the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was also ranked ahead of Shane Steichen, who is viewed as a strong offensive mind.
At the top of the list are Sean McVay, Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan, Sean Payton, and Mike Macdonald. Four of those five have won Super Bowls, while Shanahan has made multiple appearances. Based on that level of success, it is reasonable that Johnson would be ranked behind them after just one season as a head coach.
The next group includes Jim Harbaugh, Dan Campbell, and Mike Vrabel, all of whom have more established track records. Following them is Nick Sirianni, whose résumé includes a Super Bowl victory, which strengthens his case in a ranking like this. Of this list, Lions fans fear that Campbell will not be as good without Johnson and most Eagles fans would trade Sirianni for Johnson, but the resumes are different.
Rounding out the names ahead of Johnson are Matt LaFleur, DeMeco Ryans, and Kevin O'Connell. Each has shown consistency over multiple seasons, even if the comparisons with Johnson are closer than those at the very top of the list.
When looking through the rankings, the main debate comes with names like O’Connell, Sirianni, and Campbell. Those are the coaches where arguments could reasonably be made either way at the highest he could get near 10. Still, the overall list reflects a preference for sustained success over a strong start.
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