NFL analyst proposes electric Ben Johnson pairing with $275,000,000 QB as HC opportunities galore for Lions OC
NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah said that he hopes Ben Johnson takes it slow and goes to a team that will fit his playstyle rather than taking any open job in the market right now. The Lions offensive coordinator has been turning heads for the last two years after elevating Detroit from a struggling offense to near the top of the league. He has done wonders for Jared Goff's career who looked like a bust after the Rams traded him away.
Ben Johnson was careful about not taking a job as an offensive coordinator this season, despite reported interest, as he felt that he still had a job to do with the Lions. According to Jeremiah, that is the same approach the Lions offensive coordinator should take again this year and wait for a vacancy like Cincinnati to open up.
Despite Joe Burrow having a stellar year, the Bengals are a losing team and will not make the playoffs, barring a miracle. Such a sequence of results could see head coach Zac Taylor fired and the NFL analyst believes that is the opening the Detroit coordinator should aim for. Jeremiah said,
"If I'm Ben Johnson, I'm keeping an eye on Cincinnati and going, 'I would rather stay in Detroit and wait two years, three years, for that opportunity to open up'. Because if you want to take what I've done to another level, the only quarterback who could run this stuff that I'm doing better than Jared Goff is the guy in Cincinnati."
When asked whether owner Mike Brown might pay anywhere near the money that top coaches earn, the NFL analyst replied that Ben Johnson should put his Super Bowl ambitions above the money, as he could be there for the entirety of Joe Burrow's career if things work out. He continued,
"You could be there throughout the rest of this guy's career. They'd go win a Super Bowl, and then, you know, hey, if I'm, if I miss out on a couple million dollars at the end of my life, is that going to make me drastically different? No."
Where could Ben Johnson go this season if he chooses to leave the Lions?
There will be opportunities galore for Ben Johnson this offseason if he wants it. The Bears and the Jets are already working with interim head coaches. Working in Chicago with Caleb Williams, another first-overall pick like Jared Goff, could be enticing.
Other teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars might also come calling. Joe Burrow is not the only quarterback who has a 5-year $275 million contract. Trevor Lawrence does too and yet they have the worst record in the league. The Lions' offensive coordinator could be valuable there. In short, there should not be a paucity of suitors for him in 2025, leaving the choice in his hands about his future.