Bears' Ben Johnson eclipses Lions' Dan Campbell in NFL HC ranking

The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions were always rivals. They're both in the NFC North, so it's obvious that these teams don't like each other. It makes it an even bigger rivalry that these cities are just a handful of hours away, so fans can terrorize each other at away games.

But, when Ben Johnson skipped from the Lions to the Bears to become the head coach in Chicago, this rivalry got cranked up a lot. So, these teams don't like each other at all. That's not going to change, and so long as Johnson and Dan Campbell are going up against each other twice a regular season, this rivalry is staying heated.

Bears' Ben Johnson far outdoes Lions' Dan Campbell in 2026 NFL ranking

Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports released a piece on Monday with a tally of the best head coaches in the league right now.

Johnson landed at No. 6 on the tally. Meanwhile, Campbell didn't even made the top 10. He was included under the "also receiving votes" section but nowhere else. Guess that's what happens when your offensive coordinator leaves and your numbers go through the floor. It's worth noting, though, that Campbell and the Lions did beat the Bears twice during the regular season.

"Johnson exceeded even the highest of expectations last year, going 11-6 and winning a playoff game in his debut season," Pereles notes in the feature. "Johnson is the latest offensive whiz kid, but this somehow feels different, given Johnson's ability to win over the locker room and elevate what had been a downtrodden franchise."

Another benefit of having Johnson working with this team is simply in what he's done with quarterback Caleb Williams. Pereles notes that Williams had one of the lowest sack rates in the NFL last season after struggling in that area his first year. So, Johnson deserves the praise, and it's up to Campbell to give the NFL reasons to put him on this tally next season.