Ben Johnson is free to meet in person with interested teams, something he could do in multiple cases over the coming days. The in-demand Lions offensive coordinator is known to be a key target of the Raiders, Jaguars and Bears.
Vegas is expected to produce a major offer — something which the team does not need to wait for now that the Lions’ season is over — but Jacksonville and Chicago are of course still in the mix until Johnson makes a final call. Reports from last week indicated the 38-year-old is interested in Jacksonville’s opening. The same apparently remains true for Chicago.
Johnson is believed to be “deeply considering” the Bears’ head coaching position, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports. He was among the first candidates to conduct an an initial (virtual) interview with Chicago’s search committee, although that was of course also the case with several other interested teams. Still, it comes as no surprise the Bears’ wide-ranging search has not concluded with Johnson still on the market.
On Monday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell admitted he expects both Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to find one of the six current head coaching vacancies around the league. Johnson will move to schedule second interviews with teams, though The Athletic’s Dianna Russini cautions he is not a lock to meet with all three teams. Those he does huddle up with in person can safely assume the high-profile HC candidate remains interested in an elusive commitment.
The Bears have been in pursuit of Johnson since the fall, and a December report suggested the three-year Lions OC was “intrigued” by this job. Johnson, 38, would be a strong choice to mentor Caleb Williams. Conversely, Williams — who is tied to a rookie contract through at least 2026, creating roster-building opportunities — should be a draw for candidates. The 2024 top pick’s presence separates this job from the Jaguars and Raiders’ openings. Trevor Lawrence is now on a $55MM-per-year deal without having established himself as a surefire franchise-level passer, while the Raiders remain in search of an option at the game’s premier position — and their two late-season wins dropped them to sixth in the draft order.
Johnson remains tied to both his AFC suitors. He may well be the top choice for each of these three HC-needy franchises. With the Commanders knocking off the Lions in the divisional round, this will be an interesting week — from a long-term perspective — for the Bears, Jags and Raiders. The Bears made a last-ditch sales pitch to Mike Vrabel before he committed to the Patriots. Their last chance with Johnson appears to be coming soon.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post