The NFL has always been a league obsessed with the future, the next franchise quarterback, the next offensive genius, the next big thing standing on the sideline in a headset and a quarter-zip.
Lately, that search has tilted younger and younger, as teams try to bottle lightning before it strikes elsewhere. It’s the “Find your McVay” era of football, and last winter, the Chicago Bears made their own bid for it by hiring Ben Johnson.
A Look at Ben Johnson’s Age Compared to Sean McVay
Ben Johnson’s Chicago Bears will meet Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round on Sunday. Johnson was born on May 11, 1986, which means he’s 39 years old, and is almost finishing his first season as Chicago’s head coach.
That feels young in NFL terms, especially for a franchise that has, historically, leaned toward the steady hand over the fresh start. But Johnson isn’t quite the youngest coach patrolling an NFL sideline.
That title belongs to Kellen Moore of the New Orleans Saints, born on July 5, 1988. He is 37, making him the true face of the youth movement of the moment.
Then there’s McVay, who still feels like the league’s original blueprint for this entire trend. McVay was born on January 24, 1986, which also makes him 39, the exact same age as Johnson. But where Johnson has just come into the league, McVay has already lived a whole NFL lifetime by comparison.
When McVay took over the Rams in 2017, he was only 30 years and 353 days old, the youngest head coach in modern NFL history. It was the kind of hire that made people raise an eyebrow, and then, almost immediately, scramble to copy it.
Since then, McVay has led Los Angeles to six playoff appearances, two Super Bowls, and a championship in Super Bowl 56. He’s not only young, but he’s also the reason young works.
Johnson’s story is quieter, but no less compelling. He spent the last several seasons as the architect of the Detroit Lions’ offense, and by 2024, that unit had become among the most incredible in the league. Detroit averaged an NFL-best 33.2 points per game under him, according to NFL.com. The team is ranked 8th on the PFSN NFL Offense Impact.
That’s what made Johnson such a coveted name last offseason. Teams wanted what he had built in Detroit, and the Bears are watching it translate into a new era of Chicago football.
And maybe that’s where the real comparison to McVay lives. It’s not just about who’s younger. It’s about who can grow into something lasting.
