The Chicago Bears have hired former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be their head coach and perhaps the second-most important role on his staff will be defensive coordinator. In searching for his other half, Johnson has looked to the Los Angeles Rams and requested an interview with Aubrey Pleasant, L.A.’s assistant head coach and defensive passing game coordinator.
This would make Pleasant one of the most important defensive coordinators in the NFC and possibly streamlined for a head coaching job in the future.
The #Bears have requested #Rams assistant head coach & passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant to interview for their vacant DC job under Ben Johnson, source said. A key reason Chris Shula’s defense impressed so much late in the season.
Pleasant’s major college coaching career started at Michigan in 2011 and he moved up to the NFL with a job as assistant defensive backs coach on the Cleveland Browns in 2013. From there he went to Washington, which would be when he first worked with Sean McVay, and he followed McVay to the Rams in 2017 as L.A.’s cornerbacks coach.
Pleasant went back to the state of Michigan in 2021 when Dan Campbell hired him as the defensive backs coach, but he was fired seven games into the 2022 season. Following a brief stint under Matt LaFleur in Green Bay — whom he would have first worked with on the Rams — Pleasant went back to McVay in 2023.
Johnson and Pleasant would have overlapped for a time in Detroit and now it appears that the Bears new head coach would like to give him a second chance. Though Pleasant’s time with Campbell didn’t work out as he hoped, it could pay off in the long run.
According to sources, Ben Johnson, the current wide receivers coach for the Los Angeles Rams, is reportedly interested in poaching some of Sean McVay’s staff members to join him in Chicago with the Bears.
Johnson, who has worked closely with McVay for several years, is said to be impressed with the coaching talent that McVay has assembled in Los Angeles and believes that bringing some of them with him to Chicago could help turn the struggling Bears franchise around.
While nothing has been confirmed yet, it will be interesting to see if Johnson is able to lure any of McVay’s staff away from the Rams and to the Bears. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
Head coach
Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings have proved to be a home to misfit quarterbacks looking for a second chance in the NFL. Their most recent arrival is former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who could be on the move before the end of the 2024 season.
In light of Philadelphia Eagles franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts suffering a concussion in Week 16 loss to the Washington Commanders, Sports Illustrated’s Patrick McAvoy suggested the Eagles could be looking to sign Jones off the Vikings’ practice squad.
“Former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had a rough ending to his time with the team. He landed a four-year, $160 million deal but was benched this year and eventually was let go. He landed with the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad and has been there over the last few weeks,” McAvoy wrote on December 24. “Now that Hurts has a concussion, could the Eagles get Jones? Technically, it is possible. Teams can sign players off other teams’ practice squads if they were to add them to the active roster.
If the Eagles wanted to make another move, adding Jones would give the team a better chance to win than either [Kenny] Pickett or [Tanner] McKee. Plus, this move would reunite Jones with former Giants teammate Saquon Barkley.”
While Jones would need to be added to the Eagles’ 53-man roster, it’s unlikely he’d be trusted to help Philadelphia clinch the NFC East division title this week.
However, he would provide the best veteran insurance policy at the quarterback position in time for the playoffs. Jones has a playoff win under his belt and has similar mobility as Hurts, making him an ideal fit for the Eagles and a potentially awkward reunion if Philadelphia and Minnesota met in the postseason.
The Vikings signed Jones to their practice squad on November 27 after the Giants released him midseason following his benching in Week 10.
Vikings Eyeing Daniel Jones as Veteran Insurance in 2025
GettyMinnesota Vikings QBs Sam Darnold #14 and Daniel Jones #13, formerly of the New York Giants.
When Jones cleared waivers following his release, he had several potential suitors but opted to join Minnesota. The Vikings offensive system under Kevin O’Connell is coveted for turning around Sam Darnold’s career, creating intrigue for other quarterbacks around the league.
Before the start of the season, Minnesota signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million contract as competition for the starting job alongside J.J. McCarthy. When McCarthy underwent season-ending knee surgery, the Vikings’ season seemed lost. Oddsmakers set their win-total over-under to just 6.5 wins with the prospect that Darnold would be the starting quarterback for the entire season.
O’Connell has proved he can get more out of his quarterbacks with Darnold leading a 13-win season with two weeks to go.
Entering Week 17, McCarthy appears to be the quarterback of the future moving forward. Darnold is poised to strike a lucrative multi-year deal elsewhere as the No. 1 free-agent quarterback in 2025.
Meanwhile, Jones is getting a crash course in the Vikings system to serve as the potential bridge veteran option, next year if he re-signs with the team in March.
Vikings Urged to Franchise Tag Sam Darnold: Sorry J.J. McCarthy
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 and Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings participate in a drill during training camp.
With a playoff appearance in tow and the No. 1 seed in the NFC in sight, the case to move off Darnold after the season can seem ludicrous from an outside perspective.
While Minnesota drafted McCarthy to exploit the roster-building benefits of a rookie-scale starting quarterback, Darnold is flirting with a level of play worthy of splurging on.
NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” host Peter Schrager pitched that the Vikings should consider franchise-tagging Darnold and deferring the McCarthy plan another year.
“If I’m the Vikings I’m either signing [Darnold] and saying to JJ McCarthy, ‘Sorry. dude. It’s just what it is,’ “Schrager said. “Or, I’m going to franchise tag Darnold and say ‘Let’s run it back.’ ”
“I think a lot of people picked the Lions out of the NFC. The Packers were a sexy pick. Nobody – on any network, anywhere – had the @Vikings. This has been the story of the season in the NFC.” – @PSchrags
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, making stops at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at trevor.squire@heavy.com and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire
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The Minnesota Vikings have recently been urged to consider trading their $160 million veteran quarterback to a NFC rival. With rumors swirling about potential changes to the Vikings’ roster, many believe that the team should explore the possibility of trading their high-priced quarterback to a rival team in the NFC.
This move could not only benefit the Vikings by freeing up cap space and potentially acquiring valuable draft picks or players in return, but it could also shake up the landscape of the NFC and create new rivalries within the conference.
While it remains to be seen if the Vikings will actually entertain the idea of trading their veteran quarterback, it is clear that there is interest from other teams in acquiring his services. Only time will tell if this move will come to fruition, but one thing is for certain: the NFC could be in for a major shakeup if this trade were to happen.
