NFL Rumors: Detroit Lions Expected to Retain Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson

The Detroit Lions are holding on to arguably the NFL's hottest head coaching candidate. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has informed the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders that he intends to stay with the Lions through next season.

#Lions OC Ben Johnson informed the #Seahawks and #Commanders that he’s staying in Detroit, per sources.

Johnson is still only 37 and will be a hot head coaching candidate again next year. But first, he wants to take another shot at bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Detroit. pic.twitter.com/lPg2Po33sx
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 30, 2024

Johnson has been a top head coaching prospect the past two hiring cycles because of his miraculous success in turning around the Lions offence. They've ranked fifth in points scored in consecutive seasons, and quarterback Jared Goff has resuscitated his career after being callously tossed aside by the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. This past postseason, the Lions rode Johnson's balanced offense all the way to their deepest playoff run in over 30 years.

Though it's hard for any team to improve on a conference championship-round appearance, the Lions are well-positioned to build on this year's breakout. Per overthecap, they enter the offseason with a healthy $58 million in cap space, the most among any team to make the playoffs in 2023. With most of their key stars already signed, the Lions will have a very real chance to improve their roster in a meaningful way in the coming months. Retaining Johnson will also help keep them a true contender in 2024.

The Seahawks and Commanders are the only two remaining head coaching vacancies, and they'll be forced to look elsewhere. Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick remains available, as does Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has also been linked to both teams: he served in the same role with the Seahawks from 2013 to 2014, and he conducted a second interview with the Commanders earlier this week.