A pair of new reports about the Washington Commanders’ discussions with head coach candidate Ben Johnson is creating some worrying concerns about the outlook of the franchise in 2024 and beyond.
Just a few weeks ago, there were as many as eight head coach openings in the NFL. However, as January came to a close, the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders were the only organizations still in need of a new leader for their locker rooms. Yet, for Washington, it seemed there was a purpose to their patience.
Various reports claimed that popular head coach candidate and current Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was their top choice to replace Ron Rivera. However, after a discussion with the offensive guru, Johnson decided to pass on the job and stay put in Motown, while the Josh Harris-owned franchise instead made Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn their new head coach.
Ben Johnson felt new Washington Commanders front office were just a bunch of ‘basketball guys’
It was a surprising pivot away from what seemed like a np-doubt move this offseason. Well, on Saturday morning some new intel on the decision went public when ESPN NFL reporter Jenna Laine revealed that sources inside the Commanders’ organization claimed the 37-year-old “didn’t interview well.”
However, that was then responded to by those around Johnson who told Laine he “was ‘turned off’ by Commanders’ ownership, that they’re ‘basketball guys’ and felt they were a little too confident in their football opinions.”
Earlier this month, the organization made veteran front office talent Adam Peters their new general manager. However, before his hiring owner Josh Harris brought on former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers and one-time Lions GM Rick Spielman to consult on the hiring of a new general manager and head coach.
The Spielman decision was unexpected but sensible for the new NFL boss. However, the addition of Myers was an unorthodox decision by Harris. Turning off the candidate they seemingly were waiting to hire and then hiring a candidate who was available for a couple of weeks isn’t a great look.
Furthermore, seeming cocky about their understanding of the game as a first-time GM and an exec from a completely different sport is a bit worrisome for a franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game in nearly 20 years and already has a bad reputation after the horrid ownership tenure of Daniel Snyder.