It has been a whirlwind past few days for Ben Johnson.

He spent last week enjoying a bye and preparing for a Saturday night divisional-round playoff game against the Washington Commanders — the first game of what the Detroit Lions hoped would be a long playoff run.

But Jayden Daniels led Washington to an upset in Detroit, leaving Johnson and the Lions reeling.

Less than 48 hours later, on Monday, Johnson was named the Chicago Bears’ new head coach, and on Tuesday afternoon, he stepped foot inside Halas Hall for the first time.

On Wednesday, he held his introductory press conference and met a few Bears players for the first time.

“To be honest with you, I have not even processed it yet,” Johnson said in an exclusive interview with Marquee Sports Network’s Scott Bair. “Everything happened so fast. The season ended abruptly, prematurely, if you ask me. And then this opportunity arose to come out for this iconic franchise with such a storied history. I knew early on in the process that this was where I wanted to be.

“So it hasn’t fully hit me yet, to be honest with you. But I’m pinching myself every single moment.”

[Check out the entire 1-on-1 interview with Johnson]

Since the Lions had a playoff bye as the NFC’s No. 1 seed, Johnson was able to take remote interviews for NFL head coach gigs. He interviewed with four teams, but he said the Bears clearly stood out from the pack.

“That’s really a credit to George [McCaskey], Kevin [Warren], Ryan [Poles] and the rest of the search committee,” Johnson told Bair. “They really acknowledged so many things that I needed to hear from them. I’m excited to know that they are committed to building a sustained winner here. They’re going to provide all the resources necessary for us to turn this thing around.

“And I have always admired Ryan from afar. He’s done a great job accumulating talent here in this locker room, and now it’s going to be our mission as a coaching staff to develop it.”

[Ben Johnson saw Bears as a ‘sleeping giant’ even before he took head coach job]

Johnson explained during his press conference how he and his family have made Chicago a destination each summer for the last decade, taking in Cubs games and enjoying the city. The Windy City emerged as a big reason why Johnson wanted to move his family here, but he also fell in love with what Poles and the Bears have been building.

“This city has a special place in my heart,” Johnson told Bair. “It’s somewhere that I’ve gone with my family for the last 10 years. We visited, and I really fell in love — not only all the institutions but also the people here. That was one.

“I obviously loved the roster. I love what Ryan was about, the people that are already in the building presently. And then, as I said before, I wanted to maintain myself in this division also.”

[How the Cubs and Wrigley Field helped play a role in luring Ben Johnson to Chicago]

Johnson has spent the last six years in the NFC North on the Lions’ coaching staff — including the last three as offensive coordinator. During the 2024 season, the NFC North stood as the best division in football, as every team but the Bears went to the playoffs and won at least 11 games.

Despite the challenge ahead, Johnson wanted to remain in the division he has called home for the better part of the last decade.

“Anything fulfilling, it’s a hard road and it’s a long road, and I’m very well aware of that,” he told Bair. “I know it’s going to be a challenge, but it’s one that I’m up for. I have a lot of respect for everybody around from Detroit to Minnesota to Green Bay.

“But the competitor within me wants the best. I want to see how I stack — I want to see how this locker room stacks up — against the best. We want everyone’s best shot each and every week.”

Johnson had head coach offers last offseason, but this year, he truly believed it was a good time to leave. He believes the Lions will be set up for a strong future even without him.

“It was time for me to find another challenge,” Johnson said. “Those guys are built — they’re ready to go and compete. And I wanted to come somewhere else where I could help develop, I could help engage and win.”

Check out the complete 1-on-1 interview with Johnson on the Marquee Sports Network app.