Is the buzz attaching Ben Johnson to the Washington Commanders truly fading?

Going back a few weeks now, via virtually any report you'd see, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and the Washington Commanders have seemed to be an inevitable marriage once Johnson could be hired as their next head coach.

With the Lions' season now over after a loss in the NFC Championship Game, Johnson is free to be hired. Not surprisingly, he has interviews for both of the remaining head coaching vacancies-the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, and the Commanders on Tuesday. The Commanders will also interview Lions' defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn on Tuesday, as they fill their early week calendar with in-person interviews.

The Commanders hiring Johnson, based all the reporting, has felt like a formality upon them doing an in-person interview with him. But they also are not wrong to keep rolling with their coaching search, as if nothing is guaranteed with Johnson. Because, until a deal is done and Johnson is being introduced as their next head coach, it is not done.

Adam Schefter squashes Ben Johnson to the Commanders buzz

Appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show" Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter took an opportunity to squash the buzz about Johnson landing the Commanders' job.

"I'm not convinced yet that Ben Johnson is getting the Commanders job." Schefter said. "I know that people have said he's the presumptive favorite, and he may get the job. He very well may, he's in contention. But that is not a slam dunk at all right now, and they are definitely looking at other people as well."
"And again, they may come back to Ben Johnson. But I think that, they're pretty impressed with Mike Macdonald and Aaron Glenn and Anthony Weaver as well....."

Schefter mentioned how Johnson is also a candidate for the Seahawks' job, and wondered if that's where the Lions' offensive coordinator ends up if he doesn't get the job in Washington. It is interesting that the Seahawks will talk to Johnson first, though that could just be a matter of scheduling/travel logistics and thus not necessarily meaningful.

Maybe Johnson to the Commanders is truly not as inevitable as it has seemed. Schefter seemingly only offered his personal view of the situation when asked about the teams who lost the conference title games now losing assistant coaches. That's important to note, as the line between their opinion and reporting can get blurry when someone like Schefter speaks on these kind of things.

But it's also fair to assume Schefter's personal view is an informed view, based on what he's being told. So Lions' fans who are hoping to not lose Johnson to a head coaching job this year still have some hope to cling to.