Bears coach Ben Johnson started drawing plays in fifth grade

Ben Johnson designed plays for the Chicago Bears that allowed wide receiver Kalif Raymond to gain 41 yards for a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 29. Johnson, 33, called the play with five minutes and 55 seconds left in the third quarter. The Bears defeated the Eagles 27-7 in that game. He has guided Chicago to a 5-2 record this season.

Quarterback Case Keenum, who started in place of the injured Caleb Williams, questioned the design before the snap. Keenum was unsure about the protection and routes. Johnson assured him the play would work. Keenum noted that the design allowed the primary receiver to change based on coverage in real time. Raymond recognized he was the primary target and caught a pass over the middle.

Johnson's ability to create plays based on defensive weaknesses has become a hallmark of his coaching style. Raymond said Johnson does not design plays within a traditional box. Instead, he looks for voids in the defensive scheme. This approach forces defenses to adjust during the game. Williams said the team has full faith in the coaching staff because every installed play is designed to be explosive.

Johnson's interest in play design began in Asheville, North Carolina, when he was a fifth grader. His mother, Gail Johnson, found pencil drawings on the floor of his bedroom. The sketches included letters, numbers, and arrows representing football routes. Gail initially discarded the papers until Ben asked for them back. She began saving the drawings and transcribing his explanations of the plays. One drawing was labeled with a specific route and a code that his mother recognized from her own handwriting.

The family watched the San Francisco 49ers on Sundays. Ben's father, Don Johnson, a former high school coach, appreciated the West Coast offense. Ben emulated quarterback Joe Montana in the living room and asked detailed questions about penalties and play outcomes. He wanted to understand why certain plays succeeded or failed. He later attended the University of North Carolina on a walk-on basis.

Ben expanded his sketches from pencil to marker as he grew older. He created detailed drawings of misdirection plays and angled routes. One drawing showed a receiver catching a pass for a 60-yard touchdown while seven players blocked the play. Don Johnson reviewed the plays with his son to ensure they were legal and effective. Ben treated play design as seriously as his academic work. He led A.C. Reynolds to a state championship in high school and ranked in the top five of his class.

Johnson rose through the coaching ranks from a graduate assistant at Boston College to a position coach in Miami. He then served as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. In his final season with Detroit, he designed a trick play called Stumblebum. Quarterback Jared Goff faked a stumble while running back Jahmyr Gibbs dove to the ground. The play resulted in a 21-yard touchdown for tight end Sam LaPorta against the Bears in late December 2024.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles witnessed the Stumblebum play during that loss. He noted that Johnson and Kyle Shanahan were the only two playcallers who made him feel helpless when watching opposing teams. Poles said he saw Johnson's genius in action and knew it would benefit Chicago. Johnson interviewed for the head coaching job against 16 other candidates. Poles placed him at the top of the list.

Johnson now serves as the head coach and quarterbacks coach for the Bears. He works with receivers coach Antwaan Randle El, who was the Lions' receivers coach when they executed the Stumblebum play. Randle El said the team tries any play that looks like it has a possibility of working. Johnson reunited with his childhood drawings recently. He looked at the vintage sketches and smiled. He asked if there were 11 players on the field for both teams.