A year or so ago, in hindsight, it was understandable that Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson decided to stay rather than take an interview with Carolina Panthers. As head coaching openings dwindled down to two this year, it became highly possible he stayed again.
Johnson had an interview with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, and he was scheduled to interview with the Washington Commanders in Detroit on Tuesday. But apparently before that happened, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Johnson told the Commanders and the Seahawks he's staying in Detroit.
"#Lions OC Ben Johnson informed the and that he’s staying in Detroit, per sources.
Johnson is still only 37 and will be a hot head coaching candidate again next year. But first, he wants to take another shot at bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Detroit."
On Monday, with an apparent personal view of the situation rather than a report on "The Pat McAfee show (however well-informed), ESPN's Adam Schefter said Johnson was not a lock for the Commanders' job like had been perceived.
Why did Ben Johnson choose to stay in Detroit again?
After the news he had taken himself out of consideration for head coaching jobs a year ago, Johnson (of course) got a healthy raise from the Lions. It was reported he had a massive asking price to take a head coaching job this year, but that was hard to believe to say the least and reeked of an agenda somewhere.
That being said, Schefter reported that Johnson's asking price "spooked some teams."
Ben Johnson was not the head-coaching lock that people thought and his asking price spooked some teams, per sources. https://t.co/cFl2FPBtcY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 30, 2024
Johnson has been a big part of the Lions' rise, and he wants to see it all the way through to a Super Bowl. There's a level of certainty in Detroit, with most of the key offensive pieces coming back next year and others in line to be re-signed, that would not necessarily exist with the step to a head coaching job. So he's staying again.