Ben Johnson's Coach of the Year Candidacy in Jeopardy After Bears’ Struggles
After the Chicago Bears suffered a tough 30–16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8, head coach Ben Johnson’s odds of winning the NFL Coach of the Year award took a significant hit. Prior to the game, Johnson was among the top contenders, with odds ranging between +1000 and +1500. However, following the defeat, those odds plummeted to between +3000 and +4000, according to Las Vegas oddsmakers.
“I take full responsibility for the loss,” Johnson said in his postgame comments. “We didn't execute well enough, and that falls on me. We’re going to look at everything, make adjustments, and we’ll come back better next week.”
The Bears' performance against the Ravens raised several concerns, including 11 penalties, with 3.7 of those being pre-snap penalties that disrupted the flow of the offense. Quarterback Caleb Williams, who struggled throughout the game, also came under fire for his performance, leading Johnson to defend him fiercely.
“Caleb's still learning, but we’ve seen growth,” Johnson continued. “He’s the future of this team, and we’re sticking with him. The mistakes we saw today are things we can fix, but it starts with getting the discipline right.”
Johnson's defense of Williams came amid growing frustrations from the fanbase, but he remained steadfast in his belief that the young quarterback will develop into a reliable leader for the Bears. Despite the loss, Johnson emphasized that the locker room's leadership would need to step up to correct the team's issues.
“We need to be better, no question,” Johnson added. “It’s not about one game, it’s about how we bounce back. We have leaders in that room, and they need to step up and hold each other accountable.”
The loss to the Ravens highlighted the Bears’ ongoing issues, but Johnson's commitment to addressing those challenges remains strong. However, his drop in Coach of the Year odds reflects the mounting pressure on him to turn the team’s fortunes around in the second half of the season.
“I believe in this team, and I know we’re better than we showed today,” Johnson concluded. “We’re going to fix the mistakes, and we’ll be back stronger.”
As the Bears’ season progresses, Johnson’s ability to inspire a turnaround will be crucial in determining whether he can still make a case for Coach of the Year honors.
Aidan Hutchinson extension just cast serious doubt over Lions' starter's future
With news of Aidan Hutchinson's four year, $180 million extension hitting the wire, the Detroit Lions have suddenly become a bit cash strapped.
After a few seasons of coasting off rookie deals and high-value contract signings that have simply panned out for the team, Detroit is approaching a crossroads as it pertains to their talented roster. Extensions are due up for Brian Branch, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, and Sam LaPorta, and it's unlikely the team can sign all of them to the deals they command.
This means that someone will be the odd man out. It sure does feel like that player will be LaPorta, a key piece of Jared Goff's arsenal but one that could be seen as expendable, potentially, by the Lions' front office.
Lions facing down an impossible decision thanks to monster extension for Hutchinson
Let's take a quick look at the Lions' cap situation headed into 2026, knowing that Hutchinson is now set to earn $45 million per year over the next four seasons with Detroit.
Per Over the Cap, the team has $71 million in cap space prior to accounting for Hutchinson's deal. After, they'd be hovering at $26 million available. Gibbs, Campbell, LaPorta, and Branch are likely to command at least that much individually per year - especially Branch, who could be due for a deal similar to that of Kyle Hamilton's with the Baltimore Ravens.
LaPorta, amongst these players, is likely the most replaceable. Tight ends as reliable as him are a bit hard to come by, but the team has also done an excellent job of maintaining control of their better picks for their next few drafts. They could target one in 2026 or 2027 to make up for losing him, if they're unable to pay him.
So far this season, LaPorta has posted 339 receiving yards, two touchdowns, but just 29 receptions. Much of Goff's work has been with Amon-Ra St. Brown, raising concerns about Jameson Williams' future with the team after he was already secured by the front office for three years.
LaPorta is another target finding himself on the outside looking in on this offense as of late, which further speaks to the possibility that Detroit is okay with letting him go.
Maybe the Lions get fancy with restructuring ahead of time, but as of now, it seems like they're going to have to sacrifice at least one of these high-ceiling players.
