NFC Notes: Ben Johnson, Alim McNeill, Bears, Lions, Packers

Bears

Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren was sure that Ben Johnson was the team’s choice as head coach only 10 minutes into their interview with him.

“Within 10 minutes of the interview, within 10 minutes of the interview starting for me, if you look at my notes that I took, I knew right then,” Warren said, via Pro Football Talk. “Because he was so Passionate, he’s absolutely brilliant, he’s smart, he was tough, he was demanding, and because I had never talked with him, you never know. And I had gone back and watched all of his media interviews and you know, you’re watching a lot of candidates on the sideline, their demeanor, how they communicate with players, all of that. But in the first 10 minutes of the interview I just felt in my heart that he was the person to lead the Chicago Bears.”

“I was able to make calls to individuals he had coached at Miami, at Detroit, the different locations to really get a sense of what he’s like in the meeting rooms, his decorum, and so people say the same thing, he is absolutely brilliant, he’s a hard worker, he’s demanding, he’s tough, he keeps everyone accountable, but most of all, he’s a really good person,” Warren added. “And that’s the thing: You win in this business with good people.”

Lions

Lions GM Brad Holmes acknowledged that DT Alim McNeill won’t be ready for the beginning of the season.

“We don’t have a crystal ball on anything,” Holmes told reporters, via LionsWire.com. “We’re just gonna see where it’s at. But I’ve seen enough movement and mobility on running in this stage that I feel very confident about where he’s gonna be at.”

Packers

Packers LB Isaiah McDuffie is a hardworking player that GM Brian Gutekunst is happy to have under contract through the 2026 season.

“From the day we’ve had Isaiah, he’s done everything that we would ask from him as far as the way he handles himself,” Gutekunst said, via PackersWire.com. “He’s been an elite special teams player from the beginning, certainly started a lot of games at linebacker for us, so I just thought, as we were talking to him, that it made a lot of sense to bring him back. He’s just a glue guy, does everything the right way, and again, when you have a player of his caliber, who’s been an elite team’s player and really performed very well every time you put him on the field on defense, it just made sense.”