After the Jacksonville Jaguars ousted Doug Pederson, they seemingly set their sights on Ben Johnson, and understandably so. At the time, Johnson was the hottest candidate in that hiring cycle after turning the Detroit Lions into an offensive juggernaut. However, he passed on the Jags and took the Chicago Bears job because of the opportunity to work with quarterback Caleb Williams.
The good news is that things turned out just fine for Jacksonville, as Liam Coen became the head coach, and he led his team to a 13-4 record and an AFC South title in just his first season at the helm.
Heck, Coen was so good that he earned some votes for the Coach of the Year award. Then again, Johnson was no slouch, as he got the most out of Williams and helped Chicago advance to the divisional round of the playoffs. That said, the Jags will get a golden opportunity next season to prove that they hired the right guy to lead the way.
The Jaguars now know when they'll face Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears
The Jaguars dropped their schedule for 2026 and revealed that they'll face Chicago in Week 13. The game will be at Soldier Field, so Chicago will have the edge by virtue of being the home team. Couple that with the fact that the game will be in the elements, and coming out with a win will be no easy task.
Like Jacksonville, the Bears exceeded expectations in 2025, and Johnson played a massive role in the turnaround. The good news, at least from the Jags' perspective, is that the NFC North will be substantially tougher next year. The Minnesota Vikings got an upgrade at quarterback with Kyler Murray, while the Detroit Lions should bounce back after falling to meet expectations last year.
When you add it all up, it's not shocking to see Jeremy Fowler of ESPN predict that the Bears won't win enough games to qualify for the postseason in 2026.
Getting Liam Coen instead of Ben Johnson was a blessing in disguise for the Jaguars
The Jaguars were blasted for the Liam Coen hiring. He was ridiculed for his Duval chant in his introductory press conference and wasn't given a good chance to turn things around in Jacksonville.
But Coen didn't care. He got to work and turned the Jags into one of the hottest teams in the NFL. Moreover, his DNA became ingrained in the team, as it became a feisty bunch that wasn't going to let itself get bullied.
On top of that, Coen was able to get the most out of players such as Trevor Lawrence, wide receiver Parker Washington, and tight end Brenton Strange.
This is a long-winded way to say that missing out on Ben Johnson wasn't a bad thing. Sure, he was the right coach for Chicago, but so was Coen for Jacksonville. And when both of these head coaches face off against each other in Week 14, the Jaguars will have a chance to prove that they hired the right one.
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