Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown knew this was a risk.
His prized offensive coordinator leaving for a division rival? The Chicago Bears had not reached a deal with Ben Johnson last week, when St. Brown and his brother Equanimeous St. Brown hosted Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on their podcast.
But the rumblings were enough that Amon-Ra St. Brown joked last week: “Just so you know, I told Ben, ‘Caleb is f***ing trash.’”
“That’s all right,” Williams deadpanned in response. “What he does with that information, that’s all good.”
Amon-Ra St. Brown doubled down: “Caleb’s a diva. He’s a selfish motherf***er, wants to do everything on his own, thinks he’s the smartest guy in the world, not coachable.”
His brother rolled his eyes: “Amon, he’s gone. Say goodbye.”
Ben Johnson is reportedly a top candidate for multiple head coach openings, including Chicago, and Amon-Ra doesn’t want to see him leave 😅 pic.twitter.com/Xj0bbTEtC8
— St. Brown Podcast (@StBrownPodcast) January 16, 2025
By Monday, Johnson was.
The Bears reached a deal to hire Johnson as their next head coach Monday afternoon, according to multiple media reports including a post from the coaching agency representing Johnson. While the team has not yet officially announced Johnson put pen to paper, the pending marriage certificate seems to be a matter not of if but when. Bears fans have reason to celebrate.
Because while a front office whose words and actions don’t always align, citing different goals for its coaching search, the success of the Bears’ next hire will hinge most strongly on one facet: maximizing the potential of Williams, whom they selected first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The three offensive coordinators and two head coaches he navigated as a rookie stunted that goal. Now, a high-ceiling talent has the chance to recover and grow in his sophomore year.
Williams learned, through a tumultuous rookie year, how powerful stability could be. Hiring a head…
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