Who will win COTY?
By: Jake Rajala
Ben Johnson was arguably the best offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions. He was daring, creative, and persistent. He got the head coaching job with the Chicago Bears in 2025. He has been off to quite the hot start. He is 8-3 and sitting first in the NFC North. This includes having the edge over the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.
So, the pivotal and fascinating question surrounding Johnson is: Is Johnson the Coach of the Year favorite?
The BETMGM odds peg Mike Vrabel and Shane Steichen as the top two COTY favorites with Johnson as the third favorite.
I really believe Johnson deserves more praise than Steichen due to him competing in a division that’s more competitive than the AFC South. Steichen gets to play the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and Houston Texans. The Jacksonville Jaguars are sitting with a wildcard spot, but I expect the KC Chiefs to surpass them.
As for Vrabel, he gets to face the New York Jets twice and the Miami Dolphins twice. I will give him props for dueling with the Buffalo Bills, but that makes one modest team in the Pats division, while Johnson and the Bears face a couple of playoff contenders.
Drake Maye and Caleb Williams are both carrying the offense on their shoulders. They don’t have Top-10 WRs, yet they are consistent and lethal. Maye leads the league in passing yards with 3,130. Meanwhile, Williams is 10th in passing yards. It’s worth noting that Williams has only thrown four ints on the season! This is the least ints thrown among the nine other QBs that are in the Top-10 of passing yards.
Vrabel has built a rich culture and staff in the Boston area. Well, Johnson has also made one of the biggest hires with Dennis Allen, who is the Bears DC.
I also have a ton of respect for Johnson calling the plays himself. We didn’t even see Bill Belichick call plays for the Patriots.
If Johnson can stay within a game of Vrabel and Steichen and win monster primetime games, I believe Johnson will go down as the COTY.
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