By Moses Joshua 
Detroit may be positioned to turn last year’s painful coaching exodus into a strategic advantage inside the NFC North.
A year ago, the idea of Ben Johnson leading the Chicago Bears into the playoffs while the Detroit Lions were watching from home would have sounded like a cruel joke. Now it’s reality — and that reality may open a door for Dan Campbell to quietly steal back some of what Detroit lost.
According to CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones, Chicago is bracing for a serious offseason staff raid. The Bears’ rise hasn’t gone unnoticed around the league, and when success comes fast, it rarely stays contained.
For Detroit, that creates an unexpected opportunity.
The Bears’ Brain Trust Is Suddenly in Demand
Johnson didn’t build a playoff-caliber operation by himself. Several members of his staff are already drawing interest across the NFL:
- Declan Doyle — Offensive Coordinator
Though he doesn’t call plays, Doyle has been under Johnson’s wing all season and is viewed as a fast-rising mind despite being under 30. - Press Taylor — Pass-Game Coordinator
A coach who has rebuilt his reputation away from Doug Pederson, now attached to one of the league’s most efficient passing designs. - J.T. Barrett — Quarterbacks Coach
The former Ohio State star is earning rave reviews for his rapid development as a teacher and tactician. - Eric Bieniemy — Running Backs Coach
A two-time Super Bowl–winning coordinator now overseeing a Chicago backfield that has eclipsed 2,100 scrimmage yards.
Chicago can block lateral interviews for Doyle, but the others are fair game. And league executives are already circling.
Dan Campbell’s Full-Circle Moment
Here’s where the story gets poetic.
Jonathan Jones reports that league sources expect Dan Campbell to explore the offensive coordinator market. And one of the most logical pipelines? Straight through Chicago.
Yes — the same Bears staff that was built in part by Johnson after he left Detroit.
It’s football karma at its finest.
If Campbell plucks a Johnson protégé, the Lions wouldn’t just be filling a vacancy. They would:
- Regain schematic creativity.
- Undermine a division rival.
- Tap into the very coaching tree that once powered Detroit’s own offensive renaissance.
The NFL is cyclical that way. Yesterday’s breakout staff becomes tomorrow’s coaching marketplace.
What Detroit Actually Needs in 2026
The Lions don’t need “a coordinator.” They need the right one — a voice that brings:
- Modern pass-game structure
- Quarterback-friendly sequencing
- Run-game harmony
- Red-zone efficiency
- Composure when games hang in the balance
That checklist looks eerily similar to what Ben Johnson once provided.
If Campbell can lure one of Johnson’s disciples back to Detroit, it could restore some of the rhythm that vanished when last year’s coaching exodus hit.
The Bigger Picture
The Bears rose quickly under Ben Johnson, but the league rarely allows good staffs to remain intact. If Chicago gets picked apart the way Detroit did a year ago, the balance of power inside the NFC North could quietly shift again.
And if the Lions are the ones doing the poaching this time?
It won’t just be an offseason hire.
It will be the script flipping — the kind of reversal that only the NFL, with all its irony, seems capable of delivering.