Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown and the rest of his teammates will enter the 2025 season without the two coordinators who made them a powerhouse in the league.
Ben Johnson is the new head coach of the NFC North rival Chicago Bears, and Aaron Glenn is the head coach of the New York Jets, the team that drafted him in 1994.
St. Brown was close to Johnson, an innovative play-caller who contributed to a Lions offensive scheme that led the NFL in points per game in 2024.
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Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson before the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. (Daniel Bartel/Imagn Images)
When discussing Johnson’s move to the Bears on the “St. Brown Podcast” with his brother Equanimius, St. Brown said he spoke with his former coordinator after signing his contract to go to the Windy City.
And the message was very clear.
“I told him, ‘Twice a year, Ben, we’re going to excite you,'” St. Brown told his brother with a laugh.
Super Bowl champion says Lions losing Ben Johnson to rival Bears was a big ‘body blow’
But Johnson had a similar reaction to his former student.
“I’m going to piss you off,” St. Brown recalls Johnson responding.
This relationship is clearly one of mutual respect, with some competitive banter to follow.
“Okay, let’s see,” St. Brown shot back at Johnson. “I told him I know all the plays he likes to run. I know all his tendencies. And we went back and forth.”
Even though the jab was a joke, St. Brown and Johnson will have to put that friendship on their side twice a year as long as Johnson remains the Bears’ head coach.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown runs for a touchdown during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Detroit, Nov. 17, 2024. (Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
With conference championship games to determine Super Bowl berths taking place this weekend, expect the Lions to return to the form they were in when they collapsed in the second half against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game in January 2024. It had been. .
However, the Lions lost 45-31 to the Washington Commanders at Ford Field in the regional round, and Johnson was sent to Chicago a few days later.
Amon-Ra St. Brown and Ben Johnson have already begun a new rivalry. (Imagine it)
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Johnson will feature the Bears’ 2024 No. 1 overall pick, Caleb Williams, alongside solid offensive weapons such as DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. St. Brown has also shown respect for Williams in the past, especially given his ties to USC, but the Lions beat the Bears twice this season.
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