Ben Johnson's Odds of Winning AP Coach of the Year Revealed
After leading Chicago to a stunning playoff turnaround, Ben Johnson faces steep odds and a depleted secondary as he battles elite competition for the NFL's top coaching honor.
Video Transcript
Grant Bricker here for Bears on Roundtable.
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson did a tremendous job in just his first season with the team as the, the Bears won five games in twenty twenty-four, and then they were able to win the NFC North and make a little bit of a run in the playoffs in just the first season under Johnson.
Johnson, led the Bears to the divisional round where they ended up losing to the Los Angeles Rams and were just a couple of plays away for competing for the NFC Championship game.
As a result, Johnson finished fourth in AP Coach of the Year voting as the winner last season was Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots who ended up taking the, the franchise to the Super Bowl, which is further than the Bears went in the postseason.
Now that we are, in twenty twenty-six, we have yet to, kick off the twenty twenty-six season, but the odds are already starting to be released for AP Coach of the Year.
Johnson is in the top five as he is tied for fourth, the fourth best odds with New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore at plus twelve hundred.
The, the coaches ahead of them are Robert Saleh of the Tennessee Titans, Jesse Minter of the Baltimore Ravens, and the betting favorite right now is John Harbaugh of the New York Giants as he is beginning his first year with that franchise as well.
The road is already looking like it's going to be tougher for Johnson as the Bears just lost starting safety Kobe Bryant for the next four to six months as he is battling a knee injury that he suffered at the beginning of August.
It was initially thought that, the injury would only sideline him for about eight to ten weeks, but then, the diagnosis came in, and it was much worse than people thought.
The Bears have also yet to see, nickel corner Kyler Gordon on the practice field as he started training camp on the PUP list and has not been removed ever since.
If Johnson is able to overcome this and, if the defense is able to hold up without both of those players, then I think he could definitely be in the running for the honor this season.
