Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been one of the most coveted head-coaching candidates for two years now. After turning down consecutive jobs with the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders, it appears Johnson could take the same approach in 2025.
Johnson, age 38, is in his third season as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. He joined the coaching staff in 2019 as an offensive quality control coach (2019) and then was retained when head coach Dan Campbell took over in 2021. Johnson generated early buzz as a future head-coach candidate in 2022 and has been one of the most in-demanded coordinators for interviews ever since.
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However, he’s turned teams down in consecutive offseasons. Coveted by the Panthers during the 2023 hiring cycle, he withdrew his name from consideration to remain the Lions offensive coordinator. A year later, Commanders’ officials were on a flight to meet with Johnson when they learned he withdrew from consideration for the job.
Despite backing out of two potential jobs with teams, Johnson is still widely viewed as one of the best coaching candidates this upcoming offseason. Even if there are 8-10 jobs available, though, he still might not leave Detroit next year.
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NFL insider James Palmer told Bleacher Report that he believes there’s “definitely a chance” Johnson sees the head-coaching vacancies this offseason and decides to spend another year as the Lions’ offensive coordinator.
“I think Ben is going to be very selective in where he wants to go. Every spot does not appeal to him, let’s just be honest about that. I’ve heard some things about not wanting to go to a larger market, he’s a little bit more of an introvert. I think he’s really going to be very selective in the spots he looks at. I don’t think he’s interested in all the openings. There’s definitely a chance he stays. He loves what he’s doing, he loves where he’s at…I don’t think it would be completely insane if he stays in Detroit.”
James Palmer on Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
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There have already been some NFL rumors that Johnson is not an outgoing coach, with his position on the Lions coaching staff allowing him to completely focus on football. Becoming a head coach means regular media obligations and a new level of public scrutiny and attention he’s never faced before.
It’s also worth keeping in mind the chatter last year, indicating Johnson had fairly high salary demands to become a head coach. That easily could be part of his strategy to dictate his future, using an inflated contract demand and a desire to avoid a huge market to weed out certain teams. As of now, there does appear to be a real chance Johnson could return as the Lions offensive coordinator in 2025.
