3 potential head coaching openings Ben Johnson might leave the Lions for in 2025

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

Doug Pederson is surely in his last weeks as the Jaguars' head coach. A current 2-7 record is lined up to get worse if quarterback Trevor Lawrence misses significant time with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. Lawrence is reportedly not likely to play in Week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings, and beyond that his status is unclear.

At a certain point, if Lawrence is out for multiple weeks and the Jaguars keep stacking losses, it may make sense to shut him down. Surgery is in the range of possibilities.

The Jaguars gave Lawrence a big contract this offseason, and as such they are basically married to him through 2028. So the No. 1 thing in the organization until further notice has to be to do whatever it takes to ensure Lawrence succeeds, and nothing else will matter if they don't get that right.

Maybe the third head coach for Lawrence will be the charm, after Urban Meyer was (unsurprisingly) ill-equipped to be an NFL head coach and Doug Pederson has re-proven he's the most overrated head coach in the league over the past decade. (But he'll always have that Super Bowl ring with the Eagles).

It's impossible to know what Johnson thinks of Lawrence as a quarterback right now, or what he might have in mind to get the raw talent that remains somewhat untapped out of the former No. 1 overall pick.

But the Jaguars should be more than willing to find out, perhaps in tandem with poaching a new general manager from the Lions. And with the sentiment Schefter re-confirmed this week in mind, the job in Jacksonville may be one Johnson would interview for/take.