Even though the Detroit Lions earned the top seed on the NFC side of the NFL Playoffs bracket and have a bye during the Wild Card Round, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has had a very busy week. The 38-year-old play-caller is surely busy putting a game plan together for Detroit's eventual Divisional Round game, but he's also filled his calendar with virtual meetings with the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, and as of Friday afternoon, the Las Vegas Raiders.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, despite rumored interest in both Mike Vrabel and Brian Flores, it may end up being Johnson who the Raiders lock in on.
“He [Johnson] has quickly emerged as the candidate to watch for Las Vegas, as the Raiders — in a search that prominently includes limited partner Tom Brady — are willing to wait as long as it takes to secure their potential future head coach,” says Rapoport.
Rapoport also noted that it's Raiders co-owner Tom Brady, who we've learned will be very hands-on in Las Vegas' search for their next head coach, who facilitated a meeting between the team and Johnson.
“Thanks in part to the involvement of Brady, who sources say personally vouched for Johnson and implored him to take the interview through his agent, Johnson spoke with them. Essentially, Brady recruited Johnson to interview.”
After firing head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco, the Raiders would offer Johnson the opportunity to arrive in Vegas as a pair with a new general manager, which would not be the case in Chicago, Jacksonville or New England. It was reported that there was potentially some hesitation in Chicago to move forward with Johnson because of Ryan Poles' fear that the Lions OC would eventually angle for a partnership with a new general manager that he has ties with.
What the Raiders can't offer if a clear path to finding a potential franchise quarterback. In Chicago and New England, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye proved that they are worthy of that distinction. The jury is still out on Trevor Lawrence, especially after a subpar 2024 season ended prematurely when Lawrence suffered a scary concussion in Jacksonville's Week 13 loss to the Houston Texans. But it can be argued that Vegas' quarterback situation is as dire as any team's in the league, especially after a pair of late-season wins cost them a top two pick.
While that could be a factor that ultimately deters Ben Johnson from taking the job, it's Johnson's experience with the Lions and their respective rebuild that could end up landing him at the top of the Raiders' wishlist. Johnson arrived in Detroit as an offensive quality control coach in 2019, and even in the midst of coaching regime change, Johnson stayed on and played a vital role in the Lions maturing from a cellar-dweller in the NFC North to the top dog of the NFL's most competitive division.
