According to Jason La Canfora, the top landing spot for Lions OC Ben Johnson among the potential head coaching vacancies this offseason is the Chargers.
That makes a lot of sense considering Chargers QB Justin Herbert is a big draw for Los Angeles as one of the top quarterbacks in the game. Any head coaching candidate wouldn’t have to worry about figuring out a solution at quarterback, which is always one of the biggest headaches for teams to address.
Chargers HC Brandon Staley has drawn criticism for not getting better results with Herbert at the helm. He has yet to win a playoff game and Los Angeles is 5-7 on the season.
If the Chargers move on, it would make a lot of sense for them to be interested in Johnson, who is widely viewed as the top candidate who will be available this hiring cycle.
The Panthers were interested in Johnson last year and figure to make a run at hiring him again. However, he’ll have options and this report indicates Carolina might not be his best one.
Johnson, 37, started his coaching career with Boston College in 2009 as a graduate assistant. From there, Johnson coached tight ends for the 2011 season.
The Dolphins hired Johnson in 2012 as an offensive assistant and he was later promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach in 2013.
Johnson coached tight ends and wide receivers with the Dolphins until 2019 before the Lions hired him as a quality control coach. He coached tight ends for the Lions in 2020 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022.
In 2023, the Lions offense is ranked No. 2 in yards per game and No. 6 in points per game, including No. 4 in passing yards per game and No. 5 in rushing yards per game.
We’ll have more on Johnson as the news is available.
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