Ben Johnson downplays Tom Brady’s ability to get info in Week 4 for Week 5 Bears-Raiders game

Monday night’s images of Raiders owner/Fox broadcaster Tom Brady in the Las Vegas coaches’ box crystallized for many his conflict of interest. Then came the dot-connecting.

Brady will be working Sunday’s Cowboys-Bears game, one week before the Raiders host the Bears.

Chicago coach Ben Johnson told reporters on Wednesday that he has no concerns about Brady’s handling of the Bears’ next game.

“I’m really not worried about it,” Johnson said, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com. “I mean, we change week to week in terms of what we do. Schematically, he’s going to be able to turn on the tape and see what everyone else in the world is seeing right now.

“Personnel-wise, really the same thing. It’s not like I’m going to sit down with him and say, ‘Hey, don’t do this to Caleb Williams or you might get it!’ Like, there’s not going to be any trade secrets that are going to be exchanged. But I really don’t think it’s that big of a deal to be honest with you.”

Johnson added that he’s generally careful when talking about his team, to anyone and to everyone.

“Man, I’ve been careful with everything I’ve said since the season started,” Johnson said. “I’ve been in pure coachspeak mode since this season has started. So to me, it’s just business as usual. I’m just fine. I like Tom, and we have a really good relationship.”

The last sentence explains Johnson’s effort to downplay the issue. His “really good relationship” with Brady will take a turn for the “not really good” if Johnson were to come out and say, for instance, “Why did the NFL allow this?”

Remember, the Raiders wanted to hire Ben Johnson to be the team’s coach. It was widely believed during the hiring cycle (it was an issue during the Commanders-Lions playoff game), and owner Mark Davis later confirmed it.

Why would Johnson want to burn a potential bridge, if at some point he’s looking for his second head-coaching job — or possibly for a landing spot as an offensive coordinator if things don’t work out with the Bears? Johnson has no reason to say anything other than exactly what he said.

Meanwhile, Brady will be on the field during pregame warmups. Gathering plenty of intelligence about players and assistant coaches, for use later. That’s the thing that is being overlooked by focusing on the short-term benefit of Brady calling games involving future Raiders opponents in 2025. Brady is developing an enhanced database that no other team will have, fueled by the valuable nuggets to be gleaned by strolling around the field and sidling up to anyone he wants in order to find out a little bit more about this guy. Or that guy. Or the other guy over there.

You know, like he probably did last year regarding Johnson, while working Lions games for Fox.