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Who is Ben Johnson: Why NFL teams are swarming Detroit Lions OC mastermind
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- Who is Ben Johnson: Why NFL teams are swarming Detroit Lions OC mastermind
The Detroit Lions could potentially lose their offensive coordinator this offseason – for real this time.
For the third year in a row, other NFL teams are interested in Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to potentially fill a vacant head coaching position. Johnson has been a hot commodity ever since he took over as the Lions offensive coordinator in 2022 thanks to his role in helping transform Detroit into a consistent top-10 offense under his watch, including leading the league in scoring in 2024.
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Johnson has been credited with elevating both the floor and ceiling of Detroit's offense which finished the 2024 regular season leading the NFL with an average of 33.2 points per game. He helped quarterback Jared Goff re-find his footing and establish himself as one of the better options in the league and brings a level of creativity that makes it must-watch TV every time they have the ball.
His players and assistants speak highly of him, describing him as a "genius" in terms of both designing and finding the right play to call. On Tuesday, head coach Dan Campbell said he selfishly doesn't want to see Johnson or defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn leave but will encourage them to pursue any opportunity offered to them.
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson watches a play against the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024.
"Their work speaks for itself, it has nothing to do with me," Campbell said. "Both of those guys man, they are smart, they are grinders, they are strategic. They understand how to teach, communicate, motivate. And so their work speaks for itself. Both of those guys are more than worthy of being head coaches."
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According to reports , three teams — the New England Patriots , Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears — have requested to interview Johnson and Glenn has interviews set up with the Jaguars, Bears, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints . Since the Lions have the No. 1 seed, the assistants can go through with virtual interviews this week starting on Wednesday.
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Here is some more information on the Lions' offense under Johnson.
Who is Ben Johnson? Background on offensive coordinator
Johnson joined the Lions in 2019 as an offensive quality control coach under former head coach Matt Patricia. He was promoted to tight ends coach in 2020 and Campbell retained him in the same role in 2021 while also making him the passing game coordinator.
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He got promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022 after Campbell took over play-calling duties halfway through 2021 from previous offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn.
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Before coming to Detroit, Johnson got his start as an NFL coach with the Miami Dolphins . He joined head coach Joe Philbin with the Dolphins in 2012 as an offensive assistant, two years after Dan Campbell joined the Dolphins (Johnson and Campbell were together in Miami for four seasons, before Campbell went to New Orleans.)
Johnson worked his way up to wide receivers coach in 2018 with the Dolphins before coming to Detroit. Before the NFL, he started as a graduate assistant at Boston College and became a tight ends coach. He is a former walk-on quarterback at North Carolina.
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Where Lions offense ranks under Johnson
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson celebrates a play against Minnesota Vikings during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025.
The Lions lead the NFL with an average of 33.2 points per game and second in total offense with an average of 409.5 yards per game and led the league with 410 first downs. It is a well-balanced attack with both the passing and rushing attack ranking in the top 10 in the league.
Detroit ranked second in passing yardage (4,474), fourth in passing touchdowns (39) and second in yards per attempt (7.7) while attempting the 16th-most throws. The Lions ran it 534 times, third-most in the league, to accumulate the sixth-most rushing yards as a team (2,499) and second in touchdowns (29) with an average of 4.7 yards per attempt.
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Detroit also had five offensive players — Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs , wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive linemen Frank Ragnow and Penei Sewell — selected to this year's Pro Bowl. Other young players like Jameson Williams have said Johnson has played a key role in helping them develop.
In 2023, the Lions finished fifth in scoring at 27.5 points per game and third in total offense. In 2022, Detroit finished fifth in scoring at 26.6 points per game and fourth in total offense.
Previous interviews
Johnson interviewed with five teams looking for a new head coach in 2023 but ultimately decided to run it back in Detroit. He interviewed with the Washington Commanders , Carolina Panthers , Seattle Seahawks , Los Angeles Chargers and Atlanta Falcons and declined an interview with the Tennessee Titans . In 2022, he interviewed with the Panthers.
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Currently, there are six head-coaching vacancies: The Bears, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Who is Ben Johnson: Why NFL teams are swarming Lions OC mastermind
