In bowing out of taking a head coaching job in back-to-back years, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson showed he will be selective when it comes to leaving his current post. Reports heading into this year's hiring cycle proved it further, if there needed to be more proof.
To this point, Johnson has four head coaching interviews scheduled. FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz has reported Johnson will interview with the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders on Friday, followed by the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday.
Those may be the only interviews Johnson does, with the two other head coaching openings (New York Jets and New Orleans Saints) unlikely to have much appeal to him. In the case of the Jets, he may have told them not to bother submitting an interview request.
There's certainly some sentiment Johnson could choose to stay with the Lions again, but last month he was more candid about wanting to be a head coach some day than he has ever been.
No one really knows what Ben Johnson will do
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have a new column regarding head coaching buzz as the interviews are ongoing. Johnson was an obvious candidate to mention for three of the openings he is set to interview for (Patriots, Jaguars, Bears), and the two insiders did not mention him in regard to the Raiders' job.
Fowler further confirmed the "sentiment in some league circles" that Johnson is intrigued by the Jaguars' job, but "might want his own general manager in place." The Jaguars might (should?) accommodate that, but Graziano wondered if any current candidate for the job would have the juice to tell ownership "it's me or him" (general manager Trent Baalke).
Then the two ESPN insiders differed on Johnson's immediate future.
First, Graziano.
"I expect Johnson will take a head coach job this cycle. He has been squirrely about it the past couple of years, but people I talk to close to the situation believe he's in a different frame of mind and expect him to embrace the opportunity if it's offered, which I believe it will be."
Then Fowler.
"Even with all that was reported above, some people I talked to in the league believe Johnson could return to Detroit. And it doesn't seem like a leverage play. That's where he has been the past two cycles, and that could be the case again if his ideal head coaching destination isn't there.
It does seem like Johnson is in a different frame of mind in this hiring cycle. But it's also very possible he doesn't find an ideal fit for a head coaching job, again, and decides to stay with the Lions--again. Graziano and Fowler are among those getting a bit of each sentiment from their sources, which just further proves no one really knows what Johnson will do. But we might find out fairly soon.