After reportedly having serious interest in Ben Johnson, the Commanders and Panthers have scheduled interviews with the Lions current offensive coordinator about their vacant head coaching positions.
With the first round of the playoffs in the books, the coaching carousel is starting to turn a little faster, and the news of teams being “reportedly interested” in candidates is becoming a reality with interviews being scheduled.
Nicki Jhabvala, the Washington Commanders beat writer for the Washington Post, reported that the Commanders have scheduled a virtual interview with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson this Friday. The Commanders interest in Johnson goes back to Jan. 8, when Washington requested both Johnson and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn for interviews.
For the Detroit Lions, their offense has carried them to a lot of team success, and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been instrumental in that development. After a season where the Washington Commanders finished 26th in team offense DVOA and 25th in points for (19.2 per game), and armed with the second overall pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, they could be looking for an offensive-minded head coach to revitalize the franchise.
In addition to the Commanders, the Carolina Panthers have also reportedly scheduled a virtual interview with Johnson for this Friday. The Panthers interviewed Johnson for the team’s head coaching vacancy last offseason—and was reportedly among the favorites to land the job—but Johnson stayed in Detroit thanks to a big pay raise and the allure of accomplishing big things in Detroit.
Campbell noted on Monday that interviewing for head coach jobs will be a stress on both Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, but he’s confident both will be fully ready for Sunday’s Divisional Round playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“That puts a stress on them, on us,” Campbell said. “But they’ll do the best they can with it, make the most of it, which they should. And then—but they’ll be prepared for us to get ready (for) the next game.”
To track all of the interview requests, completed interviews, and other coaching carousel news, follow our 2024 Detroit Lions coordinator tracker.
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