This is not just a story about one attempt to hire a coach. It is a story about recognition, philosophy, professional relationships, and the competitive chess match that plays out among teams fighting to secure the brightest minds in football. It is a story about how elite coaches shape the league by seeking out others who see the game the way they do — or, more importantly, who see what they do not. It is a story about ambition, timing, and the way careers evolve when preparation meets opportunity.

As the Bears continue building their new identity under an offensive visionary widely viewed as the next big coaching star, and as the Bengals continue refining a culture that has turned them into a perennial contender, understanding the connection between Taylor and Johnson sheds light on the future of both franchises. This 4,500-word exploration examines the origins of their relationship, why Johnson was such an attractive target, what the attempted hire reveals about Taylor’s long-term vision, how Chicago ultimately became Johnson’s landing spot, and what this dynamic tells us about the broader coaching landscape.

1. The Coaching Tree Effect: How Ben Johnson Emerged as One of the NFL’s Most Sought-After Offensive Minds

Before exploring why Zac Taylor pursued Ben Johnson, one must first understand how Johnson rose to become one of the NFL’s most coveted offensive thinkers. His ascent was not immediate. It was built through years of methodical growth, quiet innovation, and consistent respect from the coaches who recognized his intellect long before the rest of the league caught on.

Johnson entered the NFL with a reputation as a technician — someone who studied the game obsessively, understood offensive structure deeply, and possessed a rare ability to integrate analytics with intuitive feel. Early in his career, Johnson worked behind the scenes as a quality control coach, scripting plays, charting tendencies, and designing situational packages. In an era where offensive systems were rapidly evolving, his skill set made him invaluable.

What separated Johnson from others in similar roles was not just intelligence — many coaches are intelligent — but translation. He could see concepts on film, deconstruct them, reassemble them in new ways, and communicate them to players with clarity. Great coaches elevate performance by making complexity feel simple. Johnson had that ability from the beginning.

His rise in Detroit accelerated his reputation. Under Dan Campbell, he helped design an offense that blended physicality with creativity, old-school run principles with modern spacing concepts, and intuitive quarterback reads with schemed advantages. Detroit’s offense became one of the league’s most efficient units, powered not only by talent but by design. Johnson’s fingerprints were unmistakable — misdirection, pre-snap manipulation, route layering, tempo shifts, and sequencing that put defenders in conflict.

Executives began talking about him. Opponents began preparing specifically for him. Analysts began dissecting how Detroit manufactured mismatches with modest personnel.

Johnson went from unknown assistant to head-coach candidate in record time.

That was when Zac Taylor came calling.

2. Why Zac Taylor Wanted Ben Johnson: Vision, Alignment, and the Search for Elite Thinkers

Zac Taylor is not just a head coach — he is a curator. His coaching philosophy is built on collaboration, adaptability, and merging offensive minds capable of evolving the system around quarterback play. With Joe Burrow as the foundation of the franchise, Taylor understood that Cincinnati needed one thing above all else: an offensive staff capable of thinking ahead, innovating weekly, and building systems that elevate their stars.

Ben Johnson fit that profile perfectly.

Taylor’s pursuit was not random. It reflected intentional strategy:

He wanted thinkers.
He wanted teachers.
He wanted coaches who could develop quarterbacks while reinventing concepts.

Johnson had the traits Taylor valued most: intellectual rigor, schematic creativity, and the ability to challenge ideas constructively. Coaches like that are rare. Coaches like that change organizations.

Taylor has always believed that great teams are built not just on elite talent, but on elite process. He looked at Johnson and saw someone who could help refine that process — someone who could take pieces of Taylor’s system and amplify them through creativity, sequencing, and meticulous detail.

He also saw someone who could bridge eras. The Bengals offense — rooted in spread concepts, rhythm throws, spacing, and vertical threats — had room to incorporate more motion, more pre-snap conflict, more dynamic personnel usage. Johnson excelled in those areas. He had already shown he could modernize offensive systems without abandoning their core identity.

For Taylor, hiring Johnson was not merely about adding talent. It was about adding a multiplier.

This is why he made the attempt. It is why he viewed Johnson as potentially transformative to Cincinnati’s coaching DNA.

Ultimately, timing prevented the partnership. But the pursuit alone reveals how highly Taylor regarded him — and how carefully the Bengals evaluate offensive minds.

3. The Near-Miss: How Timing, Opportunity, and Organizational Direction Shaped Johnson’s Path Away From Cincinnati

Even when a head coach wants to hire a talented assistant, the NFL’s rules, realities, and hierarchies shape the outcome. And in Ben Johnson’s case, timing may have been the most decisive factor preventing a move to Cincinnati.

Johnson was rapidly rising within the Lions’ organization. Dan Campbell saw his value immediately and positioned him for expansion. Detroit wanted to keep him, develop him, and eventually elevate him. Teams do not easily part with ascending stars, especially when they are reinventing the offense around them.

At the same time, Johnson was evaluating his own path. Ambition is part of coaching, but so is patience. Some assistants jump at the first opportunity to join a bigger brand or work under a high-profile coach. Johnson is wired differently. He prefers fit over prestige, alignment over title, and creative control over immediate ascension.

What Detroit offered was rare: freedom.

Freedom to design systems.
Freedom to challenge traditional concepts.
Freedom to build an offense around quarterback efficiency, adaptability, and matchups.

Leaving that structure prematurely would have risked diluting his influence. Remaining in Detroit gave him a chance to fully solidify his identity as a coordinator — something that would not only prepare him for head coaching opportunities but ensure he entered those opportunities with a polished resume.

Cincinnati’s offer was appealing — the chance to work with Burrow, develop within a championship-caliber culture, and collaborate with a respected offensive coach. But Detroit matched alignment in ways that extended beyond salary, title, or market.

Johnson’s decision was not a rejection of Taylor. It was a continuation of his own evolution.

From the Bengals’ perspective, the near-miss was disappointing but not detrimental. From Johnson’s perspective, it was a decision rooted in long-term strategy.