NFL Rumors: Ben Johnson Expected to Draw HC Interest from Bears, Jets, Saints

If Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson decides now is the time for him to become a head coach, the three teams that have already fired their coach are going to have interest in him.

Per ESPN's Dan Graziano, the Chicago Bears, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints are all expected to have Johnson on their radar.

The list is only three teams right now because they are the only clubs that currently have openings, but Johnson's body of work suggests every team that makes a coaching change at the end of this season should at least try to pursue him.

Johnson has been arguably the most sought-after coaching candidate in each of the previous two years, but he chose to remain in his current position with the Lions.

There was talk last offseason that Johnson being hired by the Washington Commanders was a "foregone conclusion" before he withdrew his name from consideration.

Johnson explained his decision to remain in Detroit by saying he likes what the organization has built and wants "to reap the rewards with them a little bit longer."

The Bears figure to be one of the most attractive jobs to potential candidates this offseason. Caleb Williams has had an inconsistent rookie season, but he is performing much better since Thomas Brown replaced Shane Waldron as the offensive play-caller in Week 11.

In addition to having Williams at quarterback, the Bears have rookie Rome Odunze at wide receiver. They could also have three of the top 45 picks in the 2025 NFL draft since they have an extra second-round selection from the Carolina Panthers.

Trying to figure out which top candidates would want the Jets or Saints jobs is difficult because the teams as currently constructed have proven they aren't all that close to being a Super Bowl contender.

There are certainly coaches who would like the opportunity to take over a team in need of a full-scale rebuild because they can gut the roster and start from scratch to build everything the way they want.

Johnson has been part of that very situation with the Lions when Dan Campbell was hired as head coach in January 2021. They went from a 3-13-1 in his first season to now being 12-1 and arguably the favorite to win the Super Bowl this season.

Since the Lions promoted Johnson to offensive coordinator in 2022, they lead the NFL with 28.3 points per game. The 38-year-old has been a coach in the NFL since 2012 when he was hired as an offensive assistant by the Miami Dolphins.