Here are 5 of the most interesting things new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson said Wednesday

LAKE FOREST – Ben Johnson met with reporters Wednesday at Halas Hall for the first time since the Bears hired him as the franchise’s 19th head coach.

Johnson joins the Bears after many considered him to be the top head coaching candidate in this year’s cycle. He spent the past three seasons as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator where created one of the NFL’s top offenses.

Now the real work begins. Johnson will focus on building his first coaching staff over the next couple of weeks, along with setting the team’s foundation.

Here are five of the most interesting things Johnson said Wednesday.

On why Johnson chose the Bears

Johnson knew pretty quickly that he wanted the Bears job as soon as the Lions’ season ended Saturday. And he made that clear during the interview process.

“I felt like this place was a sleeping giant,” Johnson said. “To be honest with you, I personally was more concerned about the Chicago Bears than I was about anyone else in this division. ... I was very encouraged with what was already on the roster right here.”

Johnson already had a strong familiarity with the Bears after being a part of the Lions coaching staff over the past six seasons. Aside from quarterback Caleb Williams, Johnson felt there was a lot of talent on the roster to work with as a first-time head coach.

He also felt comfortable with Chicago even though he didn’t come to Lake Forest for an in-person interview. Aside from playing at Soldier Field once a year with the Lions, Johnson and his family also attended Cubs games each summer.

Johnson had been a top head coach candidate over the past few hiring cycles, but up to this point hadn’t made the jump. Last offseason he decided to take himself out of the running for the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks openings after the Lions lost in the NFC championship game.

But once the Bears answered Johnson’s questions about the franchise during his interview, he was ready to make the jump.

“This offseason, summer, I was able to do a lot more thinking, just throughout my head and my process of what it would look like as the head coach,” Johnson said. “I just felt a lot more comfortable in terms of making that jump regardless of how the season ended in Detroit.”

On his relationship with Ryan Poles

Although Johnson and Bears general manager Ryan Poles never worked together, their shared connection at Boston College helped them gel quickly during the interview process.

Poles was a graduate assistant at Boston College in 2008 while Johnson started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Boston College in 2009. The two never overlapped, but Poles revealed Wednesday that Johnson actually took over his cubicle after he left for Kansas City in 2009.

“There’s a lot of connections that may or may not have already been put together, that people understand,” Johnson said. “I truly believe in the character and integrity of this man. … We are going to be locked at the hip and connected every step of the way with all the decisions that are made.”

There were some questions as to whether Johnson would be hesitant to take the Bears job since the team retained Poles at the end of the season. Some thought Johnson would be more open to going to a team that had a GM opening as well, so he could bring someone who had worked with him before.

Johnson pushed back on that Wednesday. Although neither he nor team president Kevin Warren clarified whether Poles was given a contract extension, Johnson said he’s aligned with everyone in the organization.

“I like to think that I’m a low-ego guy, low-maintenance guy,” Johnson said. “The whole control factor, I don’t need that. I just need someone that I can trust. In the past when I’ve seen it not work, there’s been dysfunction, there’s been an element of disconnect between the GM, the head coach, other executives – and quite frankly I did not feel that here. I see nothing but lockstep between Kevin [Warren], [chairman] George [McCaskey] and Ryan [Poles]. I really believe we’re going to have each other’s backs.”

On becoming a first-time head coach, his offense

Johnson feels much more comfortable about becoming a first-time head coach compared to this time last season.

When Johnson had previously considered becoming a head coach, he said he hadn’t put in as much thought into how different it would be from his duties as a playcaller. But over the past summer, Johnson planned out how he would approach the added responsibility of being a head coach and who he’d surround himself with to succeed.

“I’m in a much better space right now in terms of time management, how I can be involved with all three phases,” Johnson said. “The whole key to this is being able to tie them together, play complementary football. I will be heavily involved both defensively and in special teams as much as offense. It’s going to be critical to have some experience in this league that I can lean on and trust.”

Johnson’s offense will be on the top of many Bears’ fans minds, though. He said the Bears are always going to be an attacking offense that believes in multiplicity. They’ll also look for balance running and passing the ball throughout the season and morph their approach based on what a defense is presenting.

But don’t expect to see the exact same offense he ran in Detroit, either.

“It’s not going to look like it did in Detroit,” Johnson said. “We have a completely different personnel group than what we did in Detroit. So this entire offense is going to be predicated on the guys that we have available.”

On Caleb Williams

While Johnson said the people inside the Bears organization were the top reason he chose to come to Chicago, Williams was a very close second.

“There’s no doubt Caleb played a large component into my decision,” Johnson said. “He is a phenomenal talent that had, as many quarterbacks do, an up-and-down rookie year. Where I see my role is as a supporter of him. This offense will be calibrated with him in mind. We’re going to build this thing.”

Finding a coach who can unlock Williams’ potential was at the top of the Bears’ list when looking for a new head coach. Williams showed glimpses of high potential during his rookie season after being selected No. 1 overall in last year’s draft. But there were still large spans where Williams struggled to adjust to the NFL.

Johnson has proven that he can help develop a quarterback. Lions quarterback Jared Goff elevated his game to another level under Johnson and put up some career highs in different categories.

There’s a lot to Williams’ game that Johnson said he likes, including the confidence he plays with and his ability to fit the ball into tight spaces. But there’s also plenty he believes Williams can improve.

That work has already started.

“We’re going to have to spend a lot of time together,” Johnson said. “The playcaller and the quarterback have to be integrated. The quarterback needs to be able to see the game through the playcaller’s eyes. In my opinion, that’s the only way it works.”

On accountability

One of the most-common words used by Bears players during last year’s disappointing season was accountability. They felt they weren’t being held accountable enough and wanted a stronger presence from their head coach.

Johnson had a simple message for his new players.

“Get comfortable being uncomfortable,” Johnson said. “The bar has been set higher than it’s ever been set before. The only way for this team and for you as individual players to reach your potential is to be pushed and to be challenged. And that’s exactly what I and my staff plan on doing.”

Johnson said the communication of expectations will be clear with the players from the time they set foot into Halas Hall. He wants there to be a structure and consistency within the franchise that doesn’t waver so they can start winning immediately.

Although accountability will look like a number of different things according to Johnson, the message will be clear.

“We will set the standard in terms of what it looks like, what it should look like, what it shouldn’t look like,” Johnson said. “Any time it’s not hitting that standard and that mark, it will be put on us as a coaching staff to call guys out and repeat offenders will have to continue to be made an example of.”