As the NFL coaching carousel turns, one name that keeps coming up in head coaching speculations is Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Johnson, known for his imaginative play-calling and leadership, has piqued the interest of other clubs eager to improve their coaching staffs.
However, new sources indicate that he may be picky about where he interviews, and there is a good likelihood that he will stay with the Lions for the 2025 season.
Johnson’s Criteria for a New Opportunity
NFL insider Albert Breer provided insight into Johnson’s approach to the coaching job search, explaining that Johnson will be more discerning this time around.
According to Breer, Johnson has two primary criteria for any job he considers: alignment between the head coach and general manager and a willingness from ownership to confront the team’s weaknesses head-on and address them aggressively.
These factors are exactly what Johnson has found with the Detroit Lions, and it’s what makes returning to Detroit a viable option for the offensive coordinator.
Since joining the Lions in 2021, Johnson has worked under the leadership of head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes, who have made it clear that they are committed to building a sustainable and competitive team. Their alignment has been a key factor in the Lions’ success in recent seasons, and Johnson has been an integral part of that success.
The Appeal of Staying in Detroit
Breer’s report also suggests that Johnson is in no rush to jump into just any head coaching opportunity.
“He won’t interview just to interview,” Breer wrote. Instead, Johnson is looking for a position where he can truly envision himself making a difference.
“He’ll be selling his vision of what he believes it’ll take to win,” Breer noted, explaining that Johnson wants to ensure that ownership is fully on board with his approach before he commits to a new job.
The fact that Johnson is happy in Detroit is a key part of this decision. As Breer pointed out, Johnson’s willingness to stay with the Lions indicates that, if the right opportunity doesn’t come along, he could very well remain in Detroit for the 2025 season. This is a huge benefit for the Lions, as they continue to build one of the most exciting offenses in the NFL, and retaining Johnson could ensure continued success.
What’s Next for Ben Johnson?
While other teams may be eyeing Johnson for their head coaching vacancies, his focus seems to be on finding a job that aligns with his vision and values. The Lions have created a culture of collaboration and growth, making them a prime destination for someone like Johnson who wants to build a successful, long-term program.
For the Lions, keeping Johnson on staff would be a huge win, not only for the offense but for the continuity of the coaching staff as a whole. With Johnson already in sync with Campbell and Holmes, it makes sense for him to stay and continue developing the Lions’ offense, especially as the team is positioned to make a strong playoff push.
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Lions Take Care of Business With Well-Rounded Attack
The Detroit Lions got back on track after last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, taking care of business in a stifling win over the Chicago Bears.
MLive’s Dungeon of Doom podcast was in the house for Detroit’s 34-17 win over the Bears. Hosts Ben Raven and Kory Woods discuss the tweaks to the lineup, Jahmyr Gibbs’ impressive showing as the lone primary back and what they liked about the defensive showing albeit a couple of bumps in the road.
The Lions are 13-2, setting a new franchise record for wins in a season, with two games left to go. On top of that, they also broke the 2011 team’s record of 274 points during the win, another impressive milestone at this point of the season.
“I was proud of our guys for bouncing back. I knew they would. Right mindset,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said.
“Look, it takes a special group of guys to emotionally, physically, psychologically bounce back after a tough loss, especially when you haven’t lost in a while, go out, win on the road again. I told the guys that I did know that was a team record, franchise record. 13 wins has never been done, and I told them one day we’ll be able to look back and enjoy that, but not yet. It’s not the time.
“We got our work cut out for us next week, San Francisco on the road, very good team. But as far as today we did what we had to do. Got two takeaways, turned those into 10 points. Got up on them early and really was able to control the game. I thought we played that game the right way. I thought we played it the right way. It was a good job.”
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How the Detroit Lions Can Clinch NFC 1-Seed, NFC North in Final Two Weeks
The Detroit Lions are just a step closer to accomplishing their lofty regular-season goal.
The Lions took down the Chicago Bears, 34-17, on the road Sunday afternoon to move to 13-2 and maintain their position at the top of the tightly contested NFC.
It is the most wins the Lions have ever had in a season, but they still have competition to repeat as NFC North champions from the Minnesota Vikings. Coming into the week, the Lions, Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles were tied at the top of the NFC at 12-2 in a tight battle for the top seed.
The clear goal all season for the Lions has been repeating as NFC North champions and clinching the top seed in the conference to try to give themselves one fewer playoff game and homefield advantage until the Super Bowl.
The Eagles were stunned by the Washington Commanders, 36-33, on a last-second touchdown at the same time the Lions played the Bears. The Vikings beat the Seattle Seahawks, 24-21, to keep pace with the Lions.
With their win in Chicago and the Eagles’ loss, the Lions are just a win and some help away from clinching not only the division, but the top seed in the NFC.
At 13-2, the Lions now have a one-game lead over Philadelphia with two games to play. Detroit also owns the tiebreaker over the Eagles despite not playing them, due to having a better record against NFC opponents, which means they will eliminate Philadelphia from the 1-seed race with a win next week, regardless of the Eagles’ result.
The help part comes on the Minnesota side of things. The Lions will have to beat the San Francisco 49ers and the Vikings will have to lose to the Green Bay Packers at home for the Lions to clinch the 1-seed after Week 17.
If the Vikings beat Green Bay and the Lions beat San Francisco, Detroit and Minnesota will play a winner-take-all for both the division and the 1-seed at Ford Field in Week 18. The start time (along with all other Week 18 games) is still to be determined due to the potential stakes of the matchup. The NFL will set start times for the final weekend of games following next week’s slate.
If the Vikings beat the Packers but the Lions lose to the 49ers, Detroit could still clinch the division and top seed with a win in Week 18 since both teams would finish at 14-3 and the Lions would own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Lions would lock up the 1 seed with a win and Vikings loss before Week 18 even with the matchup coming because of the NFL tiebreaker rules.
If the Vikings lose before Week 18 and then beat Detroit, the Lions would still own the tiebreaker with both teams at 14-3. In that scenario, they would be even in head-to-head and divisional record (5-1), which means it would comes down to common opponents, and the Lions beat the LA Rams, who beat Minnesota.
