Ben Jonson is going to give it back.
According to multiple reports Tuesday, the Lions’ offensive coordinator is turning down the possibility of becoming a head coach in order to remain in Detroit.
The 37-year-old is considered the frontrunner to fill the coaching vacancy and was a finalist for assistant coach of the year for the second year in a row and was also considered for the Seahawks’ open position, but It may not have been helpful on its own. his financial needs;
“Sources say Ben Johnson isn’t the head coach people think he is and his asking price scared some teams off.” ESPN Insider Adam Schefter wrote about X.
CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported in late December. Johnson was seeking $15 million a year.The agent denied it.
Schefter said the Lions were on a jet plane to meet Johnson and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in Detroit when they learned the news. Schefter also said the sudden decision “surprised” league officials.
He was reportedly the Panthers’ top choice during five interviews last year, but has since been dropped.
Since being promoted in 2022, Johnson has led a star-studded Lions offense that ranks first in yards per game (387.4) and fourth in points per game (26.9).
His team scored 31 points in a season-ending loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, but allowed opposing offenses to score just 17.5 points in the regular season.
Jared Goff’s offense played a major role in helping the franchise win the playoffs for the first time since 1991 and earn a second postseason win for the first time since 1957.
Johnson remains a hot name on the coaching market and will likely continue to rise even as his firing begins next season.
He was a walk-on quarterback at the University of North Carolina, where he earned degrees in mathematics and computer science. He began his coaching career at his college in Boston as a graduate assistant in 2009 and made his NFL debut with the Dolphins in 2012.
He was promoted to receivers coach at Miami in 2018 and joined Matt Patricia’s Lions staff in 2019. Dan Campbell was retained by Johnson when he took over and made an immediate difference in Detroit.
