Andrew Buller-Russ
Several NFL teams will be hiring a new head coach this offseason. One of the top names to emerge over the past few years is Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who’s been credited with helping Jared Goff return to top form.
Johnson has received head coaching interviews in the past, namely last year when Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper reportedly zeroed in on him as a top candidate before the Lions’ play-caller decided to stay loyal instead.
Now, with the Lions once again leading a top-five scoring attack, there’s a sense that Johnson is a near-lock to land what would be the first NFL head coaching opportunity of his career.
Yet, there are only so many vacancies that open up in a world that has just 32 NFL head coaches in it. Not to mention, some of those vacancies open up for a reason, with a seemingly non-stop cycle of owners trying to meddle before finding the right candidate several hires later.
In other words, just because there will be head coach openings doesn’t mean they’re appealing.
That’s the scenario Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated highlights. While an owner who is not light on funds may very well hand Johnson the equivalent of a blank check, that doesn’t mean he’s automatically leaping at the first opportunity that arises. We’ve already seen that, last year, when he returned to Detroit with a pay raise.
Could the very same situation happen again? Johnson is just 37 years old. He has plenty of time to continue perfecting his craft, learning from Dan Campbell and other coaches on Detroit’s staff. There’s no need to leave the Lions any time soon, especially if the situation isn’t just right.
Related: NFL coaching candidates
