The Las Vegas Raiders may now be a lot closer to their next head coach than many expected.
Like many watching, Raiders fans were stunned by the Washington Commanders’ shocking upset victory over the top-seeded Detroit Lions on Saturday, defeating them 45-31.
It was the defining moment of the young Commanders’ season, and their Cinderella run through the playoff continues on to next weekend.
For the Raiders, despite not playing in this game, the outcome carries plenty of significance going forward.
The Raiders have circled both Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as potential head coaching options. Both were among the first interviews that the Raiders conducted to replace Antonio Pierce.
However, due to the Lions being in the playoffs, the Raiders could only interview Johnson and Glenn virtually in accordance with NFL by-laws.
With the Lions now being eliminated, however, the Raiders can now hold in-person interviews with both candidates starting on Monday.
This new development is particularly important in the case of Johnson, who has been considered the frontrunner for the Raiders job over the last couple of weeks.
Johnson is a favorite candidate of minority owner Tom Brady, and rumors are circulating that a massive deal is already in place to lure the offensive coordinator to Las Vegas.
With all of the connections being made between Johnson and the Raiders, both sides now have the opportunity to prove just how realistic the pairing is.
