AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson drew interest for head coaching positions last offseason, but he ultimately decided to stay in the Motor City. However, it sounds like that is unlikely to happen again this year.
According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Johnson is believed to be “the hottest coaching candidate this cycle” who “could wind up getting multiple offers a year after deciding to return to Detroit as a sought-after coach.”
Johnson originally joined the Lions in 2019 as an offensive quality control coach before being elevated to tight ends coach the following year. He was retained when Dan Campbell was hired as head coach in 2021, and that year he assumed a new role as passing game coordinator. He was promoted to offensive coordinator after the 2021 season.
Under Johnson’s direction, the Lions offense ranks second in the NFL this season with an average of 400.6 yards per game. The only other team in the league that averages over 400 yards of offense is the Miami Dolphins.
Jones noted that the interest in Johnson is boosted by the lack of other offensive-minded head coaching candidates available this offseason.
“After Johnson, sources say there’s no obvious offensive-minded coach who’s a shoe-in for a job,” Jones wrote. “Callahan, Eric Bieniemy (Commanders), Kellen Moore (Cowboys), Frank Smith (Dolphins), Brian Johnson (Eagles) and Bobby Slowick (Texans) are among offensive coordinators who could get interviews, and some of them may even get head-coaching jobs. But the point remains that the pool of candidates isn’t as deep as years past.”
One team expected to aggressively pursue Johnson this offseason is the Carolina Panthers, as Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post reported earlier this week that team owner David Tepper has an “unflinching and unwavering fixation” with the 37-year-old.
However, La Canfora also noted that if the Los Angeles Chargers move on from head coach Brandon Staley, that’s where Johnson “will most want to be.”
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