When coordinators finally get a shot at a head coaching gig, they can sometimes be overeager to accept the first opportunity that comes their way. Justified or not, the wrong job can crater an up-and-coming coordinator’s head coaching career before it even begins.
Several teams are pursuing Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson. Let’s examine the top landing spots for Johnson.
Best Landing Spots for Ben Johnson
Dallas Cowboys
As a reminder, this list is best landing spots, not most likely landing spots. It’s safe to say Johnson will not end up in Dallas. It’s equally safe to say the Cowboys would be, by far, the best landing spot for the Lions OC.
Detroit’s Offensive Touchdown Rate By Season:
- 2021 (before Johnson took over): 19.7% TD rate
- 2022: 29.5% TD rate
- 2023: 30.5% TD rate
- 2024: 37.4% TD rate
As one might expect from one of the brightest young minds in the NFL, Johnson understands that play action is the most effective way to throw the ball. Unsurprisingly, the Lions led the league using it on 37.8% of their dropbacks in 2024.
Dak Prescott has excelled in play-action situations, throwing 28 touchdowns to just four interceptions since 2021. That’s the best TD-to-INT ratio off play-action for any quarterback during that span.
With an excellent quarterback-wide receiver corps featuring Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys under Johnson would remain one of the league’s best offenses. He is a perfect fit, so rest assured, Jerry Jones will hire literally anyone else.
Chicago Bears
The Bears were downright awful in the 2024 season. Yet, it feels like they shouldn’t have been. This isn’t a team without talent.
Obviously, Caleb Williams left a lot to be desired in his rookie season. However, there were positives. Williams became the first rookie in NFL history to have three games with 300 passing yards, multiple passing touchdowns, and 30 rushing yards. He was intercepted on just 1.1% of his passes, the lowest rate for any QB who threw 500+ passes as a rookie (Justin Herbert held the record prior at 1.7%).
Unless Williams is just a bust — and it’s too soon to say that — Johnson should be able to turn him into at least a top-half QB. The rest of the roster is pretty talented.
D’Andre Swift is a capable starting running back. D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze form an excellent young receiver corps. Perhaps they will bring Keenan Allen back, and once again, they will have an abundance of weapons.
As a bonus, Johnson would stay in the NFC North amidst teams he’s already familiar with.
Jacksonville Jaguars
On the surface, the Jaguars may not seem like a great spot. It’s always a challenge for new head coaches to go to teams without an answer at quarterback. Of course, that’s a big part of why these teams are looking for new head coaches.
The Jaguars may not have their answer at quarterback, but they aren’t entirely devoid of talent. Brian Thomas Jr. already looks like one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, and they have a ton of talent on defense.
Johnson should be able to convince the front office that Trevor Lawrence is nothing more than a low-end NFL starter/high-end backup. Lawrence finished 31st in PFN’s QB+ Metric with a 64.9 (D) grade, his lowest ranking in four seasons. He averaged -0.02 EPA per dropback, meaning he averaged negative EPA per dropback in three out of his four seasons (the exception being 2022). His 46% success rate in 2024 was also his lowest since his rookie year in 2021.
If Johnson can successfully convince ownership to move on from Lawrence, that should buy him at least two years to figure out the quarterback position. Given how great he’s made Jared Goff look in Detroit (which is not to say Goff isn’t talented), Johnson should be able to make the Jaguars competitive as long as he can get league-average QB play. Unfortunately, he’s not getting that from Lawrence.
Las Vegas Raiders
This landing spot is probably the most concerning. The Raiders do not have their 2025 starting quarterback on the roster. Johnson and the front office would quickly have to decide whether to make this a rebuilding year or pursue a veteran.
If the Raiders can’t figure out their QB situation within the first two seasons, Johnson could quickly develop a reputation as one of those coaches who is better as a coordinator than running the entire show.
Conversely, the Raiders are closer to competing than their record might suggest. Brock Bowers is already the best TE in football. He carried his offense as much as any tight end in 2024. He accounted for 29.0% of the Raiders’ receiving yards, second-most of any TE behind Trey McBride of the Cardinals (29.7%). In addition, that 29% share was the fourth-highest by a TE in the last 15 seasons, behind McBride, 2018 George Kittle (32.4%), and 2021 Mark Andrews (31.9%).
This also isn’t a bad defense. Even without Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins, the defense improved down the stretch. From Weeks 13-18, the Raiders ranked second in success rate (62%) and eighth in both PPG (20.0) and EPA per play (0.04). From Weeks 1-12, Las Vegas was 21st in success rate (57%), 29th in PPG (28.5) and 22nd in EPA per play (-0.02).
The real issue was their quarterbacks forcing the defense into unwinnable positions. Out of 39 qualifying QBs, Aidan O’Connell ranked 20th in QB+ (74.2, C), while Gardner Minshew II ranked 35th (61.0, D-). The Raiders ranked 26th in EPA per dropback (-0.05) and 20th in passing success rate (43.3%).
