Ben Johnson Reportedly Made It Known He Has No Interest in Jets amid NFL HC Rumors

As the New York Jets embark on their search for a new head coach, they reportedly can scratch one top candidate off their list.

Connor Hughes of SNY reported that he's heard that Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson "does not have interest in the Jets vacancy, and has made that known."

Hughes' report came after The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that the Jets "are not expected to" put in a formal interview request for Johnson, but they're "expected to have interest" in Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Hughes noted that not requesting to interview Johnson indicates the feeling is mutual regarding his lack of interest in New York, and there are "some questions on how he'd handle" being in one of the largest media markets in all of sports.

Johnson has been a popular head coaching candidate for the past few years, but he's chosen to remain in his position in Detroit. His performance this season will make teams desire him even more, as he helped lead the Lions to their second straight NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 15-2 record. The team led the NFL with 33.2 points per game and ranked second with 409.5 total yards per game.

Despite being one of the most coveted options for teams in need of a new head coach, Johnson has made it clear that he would only leave Detroit for the right situation.

"I'm not going to do it just to do it. I love what I'm doing right now. Love it. Love it. I love where I'm at. My family loves where we're at," Johnson told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press in May. "Love the people that we're doing it with, and so I'm not willing to go down the other path yet unless I feel really good about how it's going to unfold."

It's not a surprise that Johnson wouldn't feel good about joining the Jets, as the team has the longest active playoff drought in all major men's North American sports at 14 straight years. New York is also searching for a new general manager this offseason, and it won't be an attractive destination for prospective head coaches until a dependable power structure is established.