Ben Johnson Already Made His First Coaching Staff Tweak And It’s A Puzzler
Ben Johnson warned that the group the Chicago Bears went into 2025 with would not be the same as the one they approached 2026 with. He’s already being proven correct. The coaching staff is the first to see this happen. Eric Bieniemy, their prominent running backs coach, is leaving to take over as offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs, a position he held from 2018 through 2022. That is just the start though. Word surfaced on Tuesday that the first new addition was named.
Will Lawing has served as the offensive coordinator at Boston College for the past two years. Before that he was an assistant coach in New England, Alabama, and Houston. It was primarily spent working with tight ends. Lawing was teammates with Johnson at North Carolina. BC head coach Bill O’Brien revealed that the 40-year-old is leaving his post to join the Bears.
“He’s been with me for a long time — he would describe that as dog years,” O’Brien told BC reporters Tuesday. “But he had a great opportunity to go work for Ben [Johnson]. He went to North Carolina with Ben, and obviously the Bears are doing a great job. So we wish him the best.”
It isn’t clear yet what job Lawing will take over. Running backs coach is the only one open, but he could take a role as assistant tight ends coach under Jim Dray or another spot. Lawing was a receiver in college. There is speculation that the Bears could lose Antwaan Randle El to a promotion elsewhere.
Ben Johnson only knows what the plan is for Lawing.
If it’s to work with tight ends, he at least brings some credibility. The man helped Hunter Henry have a strong year in 2023 despite quarterback problems. It was also true in Houston, where Darren Fells had seven touchdowns in 2019. His two years at Boston College were a mixed bag. The offense had a decent first season in 2024, with efficient quarterback play and a solid ground game. Both regressed last year after some personnel losses. If Lawing is being brought in to help with the development of Colston Loveland, he is at least capable of that.
This is a slight departure for Ben Johnson. He made it a personal note not to hire his buddies when he took over as head coach. This move certainly falls into that category. Lawing does at least have NFL experience. It will depend on how high a position the Bears give him. If it’s to replace Bieniemy, that would certainly be a significant downgrade, especially given the availability of more qualified candidates. We should have answers to these questions by the end of the week.