Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, will stay with the team rather than sign with the Washington Commanders, despite being one of the NFL’s hottest commodities during the recent coaching carousel.
The Washington Commanders are about to embark on the Dan Quinn era, and a significant portion of the team’s fan base is curious as to why the rumoured pairing of general manager Adam Peters and highly sought-after coach Ben Johnson—current offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions—did not work out. While conventional wisdom suggests that Quinn was the right choice for Washington, there is a growing body of opinion suggesting that Johnson was the mastermind behind his own downfall.
Johnson was reportedly a finalist for both the Seattle Seahawks head coaching position and the Washington post, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garofalo, who recently made an appearance on Seattle’s “Puck & Jim Show.” In the end, he declined both chances to stay with the Lions.
“I didn’t think he did a very good job during the interview. In my opinion, he did not particularly impress anyone during the interview process. Additionally, I’ve heard that while he’s a very intelligent, brilliant man who makes a great play caller, his personality is a little bit reserved. Not a Dan Quinn or even Mike Macdonald kind of guy, which I believe came through in the interview process.”
Despite the fact that Johnson was widely regarded as the clear favourite to replace the recently fired head coach Ron Rivera, the 37-year-old texted the Commanders brass to withdraw his name from consideration while they were on their way to interview him again. Not surprisingly, the Washington organisation was not pleased with his notification method.Nevertheless, Garofalo raised the possibility that Johnson had lost favour in the nation’s capital even before his planned second interview. The native of Charleston, South Carolina, who has a reputation for having trouble with people, did not seem to impress his Washington suitors and may have lagged behind at least three other candidates—including Quinn—when he decided to return to Detroit.
According to Garofalo, “I think he was pretty low on their list at that point.” And the Ravens’ defensive line coach Anthony Weaver performed remarkably well. Great things have been said about him. I believe that late last night, Aaron Glenn, the defensive coordinator for the Lions, was fired. Thus, I believe Weaver and Dan Quinn were the final two. Therefore, they got along better with other guys than Ben Johnson.”
In the end, Quinn will be joining Washington, and he will be tasked with turning around a team that finished with a 4-13 record despite having the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. On the other hand, Johnson will rejoin the Lions, who narrowly missed a Super Bowl LVIII berth.
It remains to be seen whether the Commanders made the right choice. In any case, the team and its troubled fan base will eventually learn the truth.
