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Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is one of this offseason’s hottest coaching candidates. According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, his interview with the New England Patriots went “great,” and he has also met with three other teams searching for new head coaches.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that, despite the incredible interest in the young coordinator, there is no guarantee he will leave Detroit this offseason.
“Some people I talked to in the league believe Johnson could return to Detroit. And it doesn’t seem like a leverage play. That’s where he has been the past two cycles, and that could be the case again if his ideal head coaching destination isn’t there,” he wrote.
It is easy to see why he may want to stick around his current team. Detroit is in the midst of one of the greatest seasons in the franchise’s long history and, while a great deal of that can be attributed to the culture head coach Dan Campbell has created in the locker room, there is considerable credit to be given to Johnson, whose offense has helped fuel a seemingly unstoppable attack.
THRILLHO 🌎✌🏼 @lowfive_
Them: “why do you so desperately want Ben Johnson as HC for the Patriots?”
Me: pic.twitter.com/vaeyXlf8iJ
He has helped rewrite the narrative on quarterback Jared Goff, coordinated a dominant run attack, and Amon-Ra St. Brown has developed into an All-Pro wide receiver.
Johnson knows what he has to work with in Detroit, where the team can be a perennial Super Bowl contender for the next handful of years if it can stay healthy and keep its current cast of characters around.
The same cannot be said of any of the available coaching positions.
The Jets have weapons but the front office is messy. The Patriots have a talented young quarterback in Drake Maye but little else to work with offensively. The Saints and Raiders have an abundance of questions.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been in turmoil for so long at the head coach position that one would have to be hesitant to hitch their wagon to that organization, regardless of a still young and talented quarterback in Trevor Lawrence.
Ultimately, Johnson’s future will likely be determined by how the Lions’ season ends and how much he wants to prove himself as the guy on the sideline.
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