Johnson pulls out of HC searches, staying with Lions
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has informed the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks that he's returning to Detroit instead of pursuing a head coaching position, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Johnson confirmed the reports Tuesday, saying he made a final decision after a conversation with his family.
"Talked to my wife about it, and we just came to a really good decision of, 'Hey, you know, we're happy where we are. We love where we are. We love being in Detroit, love the people here,' and just decided then to go ahead and put the brakes on it right now. Just wasn't the time for us," Johnson said, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.
While Johnson - who opted to return to the Lions last year as well after interest - was widely viewed as a favorite to earn one of the two remaining coaching vacancies, he wasn't a lock to earn a top job, and his asking price "spooked" some teams, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.
"Some people, they really want to climb as fast as they can," Johnson added. "I know particularly young coaches want to do that. That's not been the case for me, per se. I want to be around football. I want to win football games. I want to be around good people. And when I finally had a chance to step back and take a deep breath and look at it, that was the most important thing."
Washington officials found out about Johnson's decision while en route to Detroit to interview the highly regarded offensive coordinator and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, whom the Commanders are still interested in, adds Schefter.
Johnson's contract, which has two years remaining, reportedly wasn't adjusted to bring him back.
With the Commanders likely to draft a quarterback at No. 2 overall in April, many pegged Johnson as the best candidate for the NFC East team after he helped revitalize Jared Goff's career.
In his two seasons as offensive coordinator, Johnson transformed the Lions into one of the NFL's best offenses. Detroit finished fifth in scoring in both 2023 and 2022.
Alongside head coach Dan Campbell, the 37-year-old has helped bring the NFC North club back into contention. The Lions won their first playoff game in 32 years and came up just short of making their first Super Bowl appearance after a dramatic second-half comeback by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game.
"I love Dan Campbell, I've known him for a long time. I believe in the direction of this organization," Johnson said. "And so that truly was the biggest drawing point for me to come back, was what we have here, what we're building here, is something I want to be a part of. I've been a part of a number of losing seasons in my 11 years in the NFL."
The Commanders' other main candidates include Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. Washington had a second interview with Bobby Slowik, but the Houston Texans offensive coordinator has also reportedly agreed to stay put.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks also are eyeing Quinn and Macdonald, with Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel in contention as well.