On Saturday, we explained that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s process for evaluating potential head-coaching opportunities remains in “phase one.” Saturday night’s loss to the Commanders possibly took the analysis all the way back to square one.
As one source with knowledge of the situation said Sunday, there are “a lot of moving parts” for Johnson — and it remains to be seen whether the disappointing finish to the 2024 season makes him more likely or less likely to return to the Lions for another run.
Some are attaching significance to the fact that the Raiders interviewed Commanders assistant G.M. Lance Newmark for the G.M. position on Sunday. Newmark has worked with Johnson in Detroit, and some believe Newmark is Johnson’s top choice to ensure the “alignment” with the front office that he craves.
Per the source, however, that “doesn’t mean a lot right now.”
With the Lions out, Johnson can engage in face-to-face interviews as soon as tomorrow. The Bears, Jaguars, Raiders, and Patriots interviewed him virtually during Wild Card week. Other teams could also interview him now, including the Cowboys and Saints. (The Jets have yet to show any interest in Johnson, and are not expected to do so.)
Remaining in Detroit was a viable option for Johnson while the Lions were still alive. Now that they’ve fallen two games short of the Super Bowl, will he regard next year as a season of unfinished business?
The Cowboys completed an interview with former Jets head coach Robert Saleh, the team announced Saturday.
The interview was in-person.
The Cowboys had a virtual interview with Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore on Friday, and they have an in-person interview with Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier on Monday. The interviews with minority candidates Saleh and Frazier will make them compliant with the Rooney Rule, and thus, the Cowboys could hire a new head coach as soon as next week.
Saleh also has interviewed or will interview with the Jaguars and Raiders. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that the 49ers want to hire Saleh for their defensive coordinator opening if he doesn’t get a second opportunity as a head coach in this hiring cycle.
Saleh finished his Jets’ tenure with a 20-36 record, including 2-3 before he was let go during the 2024 season.
Moore is the favorite for the job, but the Cowboys cannot hire him until the Eagles’ season is finished.
As the fruits of the NFL grapevine nearly burst with rumors linking Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to the Raiders, there’s a far more simple (and far less juicy) reality.
He’s still very early in the process of making a decision about next year.
As one source with knowledge of the situation explains it, the effort remains squarely in “phase one.” Information is being gathered on Johnson’s behalf, while Johnson fully focuses on his current job — preparing to face the Commanders tonight in a divisional-round playoff game.
He interviewed virtually during the postseason bye week with the Raiders, Bears, Jaguars, and Patriots. (The Patriots have since hired Mike Vrabel.) Johnson’s fourth option, unless other teams (like the Cowboys) come to the table, is to stay put.
“Alignment” with the front office continues to be the biggest factor. The greatest current chance for that comes in Las Vegas, where the team fired G.M. Tom Telesco two days after firing coach Antonio Pierce.
It’s widely believed in league circles that Raiders minority owner/Fox primary broadcaster Tom Brady wants Johnson. And, currently, it would seem that his best options are to take the Raiders job or to stay where he is for another season, at a minimum.
The problem with the Raiders is the current quality of the roster, especially since the other three teams in the AFC West made the playoffs this year, with one of them chasing a third straight Super Bowl win.
And while Johnson won’t be demanding that teams like the Bears or Jaguars fire their General Managers, the simple reality is that, if either of those teams want him, that could greatly enhance their chances of getting him. It’s also possible that, even without the positions becoming vacant, Johnson could be offered enough juice to ensure the alignment he’s looking for.
The Bears and Jaguars are attractive for other reasons, starting with their quarterbacks. Johnson turned Jared Goff into a guy Sean McVay couldn’t wait to get rid of into a franchise player whose name the fans loudly chant. What could Johnson do with Caleb Williams or Trevor Lawrence?
Ultimately, the Bears and Jaguars need to ask themselves how badly they want Johnson, and whether they’re willing to do whatever they think they need to do to lure him there.
While some teams might have shied away from Johnson because they don’t want to have to recruit him, Johnson is the rare candidate who, given his choices, needs to be recruited.
For now, it’s still early. If the Lions lose, Johnson can take face-to-face interviews this week. If they win, the teams that conducted virtual interviews can talk to him in person after the conference championship. The Cowboys can’t speak to him at all until Detroit’s season ends, however, since they didn’t conduct a virtual interview during the bye week. (The same rule applies to the Saints and Jets, neither of whom requested permission to interview Johnson during the bye week.)
None of that will stop the rumor mill from churning. For Johnson, things are moving much more slowly than the ever-changing NFL news cycle.
The volatility that prompted DraftKings to stop the betting has ended. Wagers are once again being taken for the next coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
The current favorite, at -150, is Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. He interviewed virtually for the position on Friday.
Next on the list is Colorado coach Deion Sanders, at +200. Earlier this week, he was the favorite.
Current Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is third on the list, at +250.
The full list options has 60 names, including Bill Belichick at 12-1.
Eagles fans might not be thrilled by the fact that Moore took time out from preparing for a playoff game to interview. While some might try to downplay it, the exercise is definitely a distraction — and not just during the time of the interview. Moore had to prepare for the session, which includes coming up with names for a proposed coaching staff.
Every minute spent getting ready for and conducting the interview is one less minute he had to get the Eagles’ offense ready for the Rams. That’s not a slight against Moore; it’s a basic fact for any assistant coach who interviews before his team’s postseason run has ended.
Moore, a former Boise State quarterback who spent three seasons with the Lions and three with the Cowboys as a player, worked as a coach in Dallas for five years. He was the offensive coordinator for four of them.
He had that same role with the Chargers in 2023, before landing with the Eagles in 2024.
The Cowboys announced they have completed an interview with Kellen Moore for their vacant coaching position, the team announced.
Moore is in his first season as offensive coordinator of the Eagles.
He has ties to the Cowboys, having served as the backup quarterback from 2015-17 before taking over as quarterbacks coach in 2018. The Cowboys promoted him to offensive coordinator the following season, and he held that job through 2022 under both Jason Garrett and Mike McCarthy.
Moore spent 2023 as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator.
The Cowboys have interviews with former Jets coach Robert Saleh and Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier in the coming days, which will make them compliant with the NFL’s Rooney Rule requirement.
The Eagles ended 2024 eighth in total yards and seventh in points. With Saquon Barkley leading the way, the team also finished second in rushing yards while having a league-low in passing attempts.
