Dan Campbell May Have Blocked Ben Johnson — and the Bears Could Be Plotting Payback
The Detroit Lions are heading into 2026 facing an astonishing nine teams with new offensive coordinators, and one of those teams just happens to be the one they see twice every season: the Chicago Bears.
Chicago is searching for a new offensive coordinator after Declan Doyle departed for the same role in Baltimore.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson now needs a trusted right-hand man — and the Lions may have already snatched away his top choice.
The Move That Changed Everything
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell recently hired Drew Petzing as the Lions’ new offensive coordinator, a move that may have quietly undercut Johnson’s plans in Chicago.
Petzing isn’t just another coach on Johnson’s radar — he was a groomsman at Johnson’s wedding and a former Boston College colleague. Philosophically, the two are nearly identical.
They:
Emphasize the run game in similar ways
Are aggressive play-callers
Make heavy use of tight ends
By all accounts, Petzing would have been a seamless fit as Chicago’s offensive coordinator.
The Bears did interview Petzing during their head-coaching search last year, but at the time, he was firmly entrenched with the Cardinals, and a lateral move didn’t materialize.
Now, Campbell moved quickly — and Johnson may have been left watching from the sidelines.
Revenge Could Be Coming
But the story might not end there.
Johnson has long admired Hank Fraley, Detroit’s offensive line coach and run game coordinator.
Fraley was rumored to be Johnson’s top target when he initially took the Bears job, but the Lions countered with a significant raise to keep him in Detroit.
That leverage may be gone now.
With Declan Doyle out and a coordinator vacancy open, there’s little stopping Fraley from at least taking an interview with Chicago — unless Detroit steps in once again with another raise.
NFC North Chess Match
If Johnson does pry Fraley away, it wouldn’t just fill a key coaching role — it would directly weaken a division rival that already stole his preferred OC candidate.
In the NFC North, grudges don’t need to be loud to be real. Sometimes, revenge comes quietly — one phone call at a time.
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