This update from Adam Schefter offers hope for Ben Johnson to the Bears

The Chicago Bears appeared to be losing ground to the Las Vegas Raiders in their fight for Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson until this update from ESPN's Adam Schefter.
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Bears fans who have been on pins and needles worrying about the Las Vegas Raiders snatching Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson away from Chicago and quarterback Caleb Williams may finally have a glimmer of hope.

According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, Johnson to the Raiders is far from a sure thing.

"If he takes the Raiders job, he's now going to a division where the head coaches are Andy Reid, Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh and the quarterbacks are now Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix and Justin Herbert," he said in the latest episode of the Adam Schefter Podcast.

"And you're going to a team that doesn't even have a quarterback, doesn't have a draft pick to go land a quarterback and has to find a way somehow to get a quarterback. So, good luck with that.

"The Raiders have so much ground to make up, right now, especially in that division. And that, to me, is what they have to overcome here," Schefter said.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson during warm ups before a game against the Buffalo Bills
David Reginek-Imagn Images

This sounds a lot like what Bears fans have been saying since Chicago's coaching search began. The Bears have a leg up on the Ben Johnson competition for several reasons, including Williams, the overall strength of the roster, and the fact that while the NFC North is challenging, so too is the AFC West (and the entire AFC in general).

Johnson won't get a reprieve from high-level quarterback competition in the AFC West. Patrick Mahomes? Justin Herbert? Even Bo Nix? It's a murderer's row of quarterbacks that's arguably tougher than Jared Goff, Sam Darnold/JJ McCarthy, and Jordan Love (who looked atrocious in the Packers' playoff loss).

Yeah, I get it, Tom Brady is probably the NFL's most persuasive recruiter. But if Johnson is as smart as everyone says he is, it won't take him long to realize which team's situation gives him a better chance for long-term success. It's the Bears.

And if he chooses the Raiders? Bears fans should be thankful, because a decision as bad as that suggests he'll have a lot of dumb mistakes as a head coach, too.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.