The former head coach of the Detroit Lions has finally received approval to return.
On Tuesday, the Detroit Lions received positive news: Ben Johnson will serve as their offensive coordinator for a third season.
The 37-year-old Johnson chose to withdraw from consideration for a second consecutive coaching cycle despite being the front-runner to take over as head coach of the Washington Commanders and a candidate for the Seattle Seahawks position.
Since the Lions’ season came to an agonizing end on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game, this is the finest news they have heard.
Johnson allegedly met with the Commanders in Detroit on Tuesday. Johnson conducted interviews with five teams in all throughout the search. Washington was in the city to speak with Aaron Glenn, the defensive coordinator for the Lions.
Adam Schefter of ESPN tweeted, “His asking price spooked some teams, per sources,” not long after NFL Network broke the initial story of Johnson’s comeback.
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Days before the Lions’ season finale, Johnson was widely regarded as the overwhelming favorite to take over as head coach in Washington, with both national reporters and sportsbooks expressing strong confidence in his candidacy.
Johnson opted to seize this chance after deciding to stay in Detroit following several interviews throughout the winter. Johnson is a two-time finalist for Assistant Coach of the Year and has been one of the most popular names in coaching circles. His choice paid off, as the offense largely contributed to the Lions having one of their best seasons ever.
After joining the Lions in 2019 as an offensive quality control coach under former head coach Matt Patricia, he assumed the coordinator position prior to the 2022 campaign. He was an assistant with the Miami Dolphins from 2012 to 2018. In 2020–21, head coach Dan Campbell kept Johnson on staff as the tight ends coach for the Lions. Midway through the season, Johnson was elevated to the position of passing game coordinator when offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn was relieved of his duties and Campbell assumed play-calling duties.
The next offseason, Johnson was elevated to the position of offensive coordinator, where he started turning the Lions’ attack into a well-oiled, lethal machine and helped establish Jared Goff as the team’s likely starting quarterback going forward.
