Ben Johnson talks more openly than he ever has about his head coaching future

After removing himself from the interview process for head coaching jobs each of the last two years, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has generally not said a lot about his actual desire to be a head coach.

We do know Johnson is going to be thoughtful when considering any head coaching opportunity, based on his own words and reports that have recently reinforced that as the 2025 hiring cycle approaches.

The Lions' Week 16 opponent, the Chicago Bears, are definitely among the teams who should want Johnson to be their next head coach. The No. 1 question is how appealing he finds that job, with the criteria he reportedly has standing as notable.

For the first time this season, Johnson was asked about becoming a head coach when he spoke to reporters on Thursday.

Ben Johnson speaks more openly than he ever has about desire to be a head coach

The first question to Johnson was if there's anything he has learned from his name coming up in head coaching searches the last couple years, and how that helps him compartmentalize the same talk this year.

"I'd say I'm much more prepared than I was the last two years", Johnson said. "The local media has been very gracious on me this year by not bringing it up. So, no, the last couple years, getting thrown into the coordinator role, things get on you fast and you don't really have time to think about the future a whole lot. Now that I've been through the ringer a couple times, had some interviews, I certainly do feel more prepared, just from a big-picture standpoint."

Having been through the interviewing process a couple times, Johnson has no trouble maintaining focus on what the Lions are trying to accomplish this year.

"But right now, we've got three games left in the regular season, going into the postseason, and, honestly, this is why I wanted to be here," Johnson said. "I have an obligation to the people in the building to be right where my feet are. When I walk in and see the coaches staying long nights and working as hard as they're doing, and I come in and see the guys, the players in the meeting room and on the practice field attacking each day like they are, it's hard for my mind to wander much beyond what we're doing in the here and now."

Johnson was then point-blank asked if he wants to be a head coach one day.

"Yeah, I'd say this, I think there's a burning desire in every man to find what he's made out of and push the limits and see if he's got what it takes," Johnson said. "Yeah, there's a fire there. When that time is, I don't know when that would be, but there's certainly a fire there."

While easy to assume, Johnson being so open about his desire to be a head coach was notable. Maybe reaching just a little bit, John Maakaron of SI.com noted a potential difference a year makes.

In any case, Johnson still doesn't seem to be in any hurry to leave the Lions for a head coaching job. But it was interesting, and refreshing in some way, how he didn't reflexively dismiss talk about his future when it was brought up on Thursday.