Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown made his feelings about former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s upcoming return to Detroit this Sunday very clear on last week’s episode of the “St. Brown Podcast”.
“Week 2 is gonna be so crazy. I promise you. It’s going to be so electric,” St. Brown said.” “But as soon as Ben (Johnson) walks in there, we’re booing him. I don’t give a f—. We all booing him.”
Bears wideout Rome Odunze appeared on the episode as a guest, and said that Johnson told the team the environment in Detroit would be “lit”.
St. Brown also joked about wanting to sit in on Johnson’s meetings with Chicago and see how his longtime coordinator was holding up as the head man.
“I just want to be a fly on the wall in his meeting room,” St. Brown said. “How is he as a head coach? Like Ben, that is not you, dawg. I know you, stop acting like this, Ben.”
St. Brown jokes about Johnson's return to Ford Field
Johnson had been on Detroit’s staff since 2019 and became offensive coordinator ahead of the 2022 season. Detroit finished third in total offense in 2023 and led the NFL in scoring offense last year in 2024. The Lions set a franchise record in points per game with 33.2 and set an NFL record for most 40-point games without a turnover at five.
But now Johnson is a division rival, teaming up with former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and general manager Ryan Poles in Chicago. His head coaching debut was off to a good start in the first half, before Chicago let a 17-6 fourth quarter lead evaporate after a few bad mistakes from Williams let Minnesota back in the game.
If Johnson is indeed met with boos, it wouldn't be the first time Lions fans greeted a former franchise great now with another team with a less-than-warm reception. Longtime Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was infamously booed before taking the field in Detroit for the first time as a Los Angeles Ram before the Lions beat the Rams 23-21 in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.
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“I know what kind of fans they are and, honestly, I totally understand it. I get it,” Stafford said about the game before the 2024 season. “They’re gonna want to do everything they can to make my life as uncomfortable as possible. They hadn’t had a playoff game there in 30 years. So they’re going to be jazzed up for whatever. And the fact that it was me and our team? I’m sure it was even more so.”
The Lions, like Chicago, aren’t exactly coming off a great Week 1 performance either, and both teams are desperately trying to avoid not just an 0-2 overall start, but 0-2 in the division as well. That’s a tough hole to climb out of in any division, but especially the ultra-competitive NFC North.
It’s only Week 2, but Johnson’s homecoming could wind up setting the tone for how far both of these teams can go in 2025. Especially a Lions team with Super Bowl aspirations entering the season.