When it comes to head-coaching candidates in 2025, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is going to be a hot name once again.
Johnson has been at or near the top of the list for many teams in recent years, but he has yet to take a job. According to reports, he had an opportunity to take the Washington Commanders' job, at least, but decided to stay in Detroit.
If we've learned anything from Johnson's candidacy, it's that he isn't going to just take any job. The Lions offensive coordinator is going to carefully consider his options in order to avoid making the wrong decision, which is smart because head-coaching opportunities don't grow on trees and some coaches only get one shot.
And that's something ESPN's Adam Schefter touched on recently, noting that Johnson is going to be very careful about where he ends up.
"Ben Johnson’s gonna be very, very selective about the place that he chooses to go, if he decides even to leave Detroit. He’s gonna be very careful," Schefter said. "I don’t know that he desires to leave that division to head, in the division, to go to a place that you’re talking about the dysfunction that has existed within that organization..."
The organization Schefter was talking about was the Chicago Bears, who could be in the market for a new head coach after what has been a disastrous season under current head coach, Matt Eberflus, who should have been fired long ago.
The fact that Eberflus is still employed just speaks to the dysfunction in Chicago, something Johnson will be looking to avoid.
"He will be (sought after)," Schefter added on Johnson. "But just because, let's just say, there's eight openings this year, and let's just say, eight teams have him in their wish list, doesn't mean he's going to be interviewing with eight teams.
"I think if Ben Johnson is interviewing with anybody, this year, he's interviewing with the intention that he's going to take that job."
Knowing all that, it makes a prediction from NFL analyst Chad Forbes even more laughable. He believes that Johnson will ultimately end up with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars are exactly the kind of situation Johnson would avoid, assuming what Schefter said is correct. Jacksonville been a mess for years now and the team also sports one of the most overpaid quarterbacks in the NFL in Trevor Lawrence, who hasn't come close to living up to the hype he garnered coming out of college.
Having an elite play-caller would be fantastic for Lawrence's career, but the same cannot be said for Johnson, who could get hamstrung by the Clemson product's contract and inability to be consistent.
Speaking of money, the Jaguars are in an OK but not great situation when it comes to future salary cap space. Jacksonville is currently projected to have $61.5 million in 2025, which ranks 12th in the NFL. That's not a lot for all the holes the Jags must fill.
Johnson would be far better suited going to a team that has a blank slate or, at the very least, a far better situation at quarterback. The Jaguars do not qualify as the latter.
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