Perhaps one of the biggest surprises this offseason, not just in Detroit but the entire NFL was Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson passing on head coaching offers and ultimately opting to stay with the Lions for at least one more year. Obviously, it was surprising considering the 38-year-old Johnson was one of the hottest head coaching candidates over the past two offseasons and will likely be at the top of a candidate list when this upcoming season concludes.
So why did he want to stay in Detroit?
The Lions are simply a good team which at this point is still kinda of a weird thought process for previously long-suffering football fans in Detroit.
“I think when it boils down to it, I want the sun to shine a little bit longer. That’s really what it comes down to for me,” Johnson said Thursday, according to ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “I like the sunshine. I like what we’ve built here, starting with ownership, the head coach, and the GM on down.”
“We have a great group of guys in the locker room, and I want to reap the rewards with them a little bit longer,” Johnson added.
And if you think Johnson is hurting his chances at an NFL head coaching job given the apparent gamble, the Lions offensive play caller doesn’t see it that way.
“Personally, I don’t feel like I’m hurting my opportunities or my abilities to be a head coach in the future, and I love what I’m doing right now,” Johnson said.
The Commanders, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Los Angeles Chargers all have had the opportunity to interview Johnson. It seemed like he was primed to take that Washington job this offseason considering the Lions were coming off their first NFC North title since 1993 while finishing third in total offense with 394.8 yards per game. Not to mention, Johnson can largely be credited with helping turn around the career of Jared Goff, something that Sean McVey was unable to do in LA, and which ultimately led to Goff’s massive contract extension with Detroit.
