If pulling himself out of consideration for head coaching jobs in back-to-back hiring cycles wasn’t enough proof, ESPN’s Adam Schefter re-affirmed how selective Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will be when it comes to taking a head coaching job on “Get Up” this past week.
The conversation was rooted in the possibility the Chicago Bears will have an opening after the season, but Schefter’s broader point stands.
“Ben Johnson’s gonna be very, very selective about the place that he chooses to go, if he decides even to leave Detroit. He’s gonna be very careful,” Schefter said. “I don’t know that he desires to leave that division to head, in the division, to go to a place that you’re talking about the dysfunction that has existed within that organization…”
“He will be (sought after).”, Schefter said. “But just because, let’s just say, there’s eight openings this year, and let’s just say, eight teams have him in their wish list, doesn’t mean he’s going to be interviewing with eight teams. I think if Ben Johnson is interviewing with anybody, this year, he’s interviewing with the intention that he’s going to take that job.”
Johnson has a good situation in Detroit, and he’s not leaving it for just any head coaching job. That has been established, but a well-known reporter freshly confirmed it as another head coach hiring cycle approaches.
Would a “Godfather”-style offer get Ben Johnson to leave the Lions?
Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post recently took a look at the landscape of NFL head coaching openings at basically the halfway point of the regular season. Johnson is automatic to mention as a potential candidate for openings, and La Canfora specifically named him in conjunction with the looming opening the Jacksonville Jaguars should have.
“Some rival executives believe Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson would get a blank check here, though questions remain as to whether he wants to be a head coach after last year’s flirtations that preceded his return to Detroit.”
In a broad sense, Jacksonville could really appeal to Johnson. They have a young, albeit currently injured and possibly out for the season, quarterback in former No.1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence. There are some interesting pieces on the offensive side of the ball. Owner Shad Khan wants to win, even if he’s not always made great choices for who should run the football operation. Maybe he’d double-dip from the Lions’ organization, hiring a new general manager who then would have Johnson atop their list of head coaching candidates.
Johnson got a pay raise after he pulled himself out of the interview process the first time, and he presumably got another raise after doing it again. There was a flimsy effort to put out there that he had an exorbitant asking price to become a head coach during the last hiring cycle. But there is a difference between being a highly-paid coordinator and even being a lower-paid head coach.
As comfortable as Johnson is with the Lions, to the point it’s becoming a question if he wants to be a head coach, would a situation that looks appealing and a “blank check” offer get him to leave? The Jaguars would do well to find out when the time comes to search for their next head coach.
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