Detroit Lions Star Amon-Ra St. Brown and the rest of his teammates will head into the 2025 season without the coordinators who helped turn them into a powerhouse in the league.
Ben Johnson is the new coach of the NFC North contender Chicago BearsWhile Aaron Glenn became the head coach of the team that drafted him in 1994, the New York Jets.
St. Brown was closer to Johnson, the innovative play-caller who helped plan a Lions offense that led the NFL in points per game in 2024.
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Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson before a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. (Daniel Bartel/Imagine Images)
When talking about Johnson's departure to the Bears on his “St. Brown Podcast” with his older brother Equanimeous, St. Brown said he spoke with his former coordinator after he signed his deal to head to the Windy City.
The message was very clear.
“I told him,” St. Brown told his brother, laughing. “I said, 'Twice a year, Ben, we'll get you.'
Lions losing Ben Johnson to rival Bears is a big blow, says Super Bowl champion
But Johnson had a similar response to his former student.
“I'll f— you up,” St. Brown recalled Johnson responding.
The relationship is clearly one of mutual respect, and competitive banter is something that usually follows.
“Well, we'll see,” St. Brown replied to Johnson. “I told him I knew all the plays he liked to make. I knew all his tendencies, and we were just messing around back and forth.”
Although the jabs were fun, St. Brown and Johnson will have to turn their friendship to the side twice a year as long as Johnson is 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 on November 17, 2024 (Jorge Lemos/Noor Photo via Getty Images)
With the conference championship games taking place this weekend to determine who will play in the Super Bowl, the Lions were expected to be back where they were in January 2024, when they suffered a second-half collapse to San Francisco 49ers In the NFC title game.
However, the Lions were eliminated with a 45-31 loss at Ford Field to the Washington Leaders in the divisional round, and Johnson was headed to Chicago days later.
Amon Ra Saint Brown and Ben Johnson have already started their new rivalry. (to imagine)
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Johnson has the Bears' 2024 No. 1 overall pick, Caleb Williamsto line up alongside some powerful offensive weapons like DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. St. Brown has also shown respect for Williams in the past, especially given their connection to USC, but the Lions have taken down the Bears twice this season.
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