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Eric Woodyard, ESPN
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has entertained multiple head coaching vacancies in recent years, but ultimately decided to stay while trying to win a Super Bowl with head coach Dan Campbell.
Per ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the Chicago Bears, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints are all expected to have Johnson on their radar as a top head coach candidate, although he hasn’t been offered a role yet. And as the Lions prepare to face the Bears on Sunday, Johnson admits that he has a “burning desire” to become one someday – but only under the right circumstances.
“Yeah, I’d say this, I think there’s a burning desire in every man to find what he’s made out of, push the limits and see if he’s got what it takes,” Johnson said Thursday. “So, yeah, there’s a fire there. Now, when that time is, I don’t know when that’ll be, but there’s certainly a fire there.”
At 12-2 in Detroit, Johnson’s creative playcalling and offensive brilliance have remained in the spotlight, with the Lions averaging a league-high 31.8 points per game. Although Johnson was viewed as a top coaching candidate last offseason, he chose to remain in Detroit rather than pursue the head-coaching vacancies for the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks, which surprised league executives.
Following the 2022 season, he also interviewed with the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, and was scheduled to meet with the Panthers in Charlotte before informing Detroit he would be returning as the offensive coordinator.
Now, Johnson feels more prepared to pursue a bigger role after experiencing the overall process but won’t be rushing anything, he said.
“Last couple of years, you get thrown in the coordinator role, things get on you fast, and you don’t really have time to think about the future a whole lot,” Johnson said. “Now that I’ve been through the ringer a couple of times, had some interviews, I certainly do feel more prepared just from a big picture standpoint.
“But right now, we’ve got three games left in the regular season, going into the postseason, and honestly this is why I’m here. This is why I wanted to be here. I have an obligation to the people in the building to be right where my feet are and when I walk in and I see the coaches staying long nights and working as hard as they’re doing, and I come in and I see the guys, the players, in the meeting room and on the practice field, attacking each day like they are, it’s hard for my mind to wander much beyond what we’re doing in the here and now.”
Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams could see Johnson as “a great head coach” in the NFL based off his ability to teach the game and break down in-game situations with a smooth approach.
“I think he’s a mastermind on the offensive side of the ball and I’m pretty sure he’ll find somebody to take care of the defensive side,” Williams said. “Defense wins championships, but offense wins championships, too. Points win, so I feel like he would be a great head coach for a team.”
Johnson, 38, was named a finalist for AP Assistant Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season in 2023. This season, Detroit has scored 40-plus points in five games, which ties the franchise record for the most 40-point games in a season set in 1952. They’ve also scored 20-or-more points for 12 straight games.
On many occasions, Campbell has admitted to preparing his staff, including defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and special teams coordinator Dave Fipp, to become head coaches someday.
In the midst of Detroit’s best start in team history, Campbell said he’s savoring the team’s success with his coaching staff in place for the moment because he’s confident they’ll receiver other opportunities.
“This is a special team and it’s a special staff, and it’s been that way since the beginning, it really has been. And so, yeah, I absolutely do,” Campbell said. “I’m fortunate, I’m blessed, I’m thankful that I have the coordinators, counting (Lions Special Teams Coordinator Dave) Fipp as well, all three of those guys are superstars. And yeah, I do, and I know – hey, when it’s over, it’s over, but we’re going to make the most of it until that time comes.”