The Chicago Bears endured a frustrating 2024 season, finishing with a disappointing 5-12 record and securing last place in the NFC North.
To the delight of the majority of the fanbase, the team parted ways with head coach Matt Eberflus after their Thanksgiving disaster against the Detroit Lions.
Now, Chicago is firmly in the midst of an intensive search for his replacement.
Amid this uncertainty, some pranksters have targeted Bears players, including quarterback Caleb Williams, by impersonating potential coaching candidates.
Williams shared the bizarre incident during his appearance on The St. Brown Podcast, detailing how a fake Ben Johnson, the highly sought-after offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, reached out to him.
“I’m going to explain this situation,” Williams began. “I reached out to Amon-Ra and I was not asking, I asked Amon-Ra for Ben’s number. Like obviously I was not going to save his numbers because he’s not our coach.
“I wasn’t going to do all of that. I was asking because I wanted to make sure it wasn’t because obviously so many fake numbers nowadays. I was asking him so I could see if it matches his number. Amon-Ra does Amon-Ra things and doesn’t text back.”
“No that’s not what happened bro,” St. Brown responded. He went on to explain that Williams asked for the number because he had “fake dudes hitting him up pretending to be Ben.”
“He thinks I’m trying to play a joke but I’m being dead ass,” Williams responded.
Williams admitted that the text fooled him because of its professional appearance.
“The text was so official, like I’ve gotten that text from college coaches and other coaches before getting drafted and all of that. So it looked mad professional,” he admitted.
As Williams (and the rest of the NFL world) knows, he was simply a victim of an embarrassing prank.
The incident highlights the excitement – and uncertainty – surrounding the Bears’ head coaching search.
Many Chicago fans are hoping that the Bears hire Ben Johnson as soon as the Lions’ season is over.
However, there is growing concern for some that Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders may end up being the ones that win the Johnson sweepstakes.
Other names reportedly in the mix include Mike McCarthy, Aaron Glenn, Kliff Kingsbury, Brian Flores, and Pete Carroll.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has hinted that additional, unexpected candidates could also be interviewed.
What are your thoughts on the Williams prank?
More importantly, who do you think will be the Bears’ next head coach when it’s all said and done???
