Cowboys, Raiders, Jets' Top HC Options After Ben Johnson's Reported Bears Contract

The Chicago Bears landed arguably the top coaching candidate on the market Monday, reportedly finalizing terms on an agreement to hire Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their next head coach.

So, where does that leave the coaching search for teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets? Who are their top options remaining?

We'll examine that below, generally narrowing the list to coaches that these teams have either interviewed or been linked to throughout the process in media reports.

Cowboys Top Options

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 29: Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on December 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The name you are probably waiting to read is Deion Sanders, and he would be the splashiest possible hire. Would he be the right one, however?

Sanders has no experience coaching at the NFL level and only two years of experience coaching at the Power 4 level in college football. His cult of personality has aided him greatly in the college game, helping him land recruits and transfers, but would it have the same pull at the professional level?

And would two men with major egos who are accustomed to calling the shots like Jerry Jones and Sanders really coexist all that well together?

This doesn't feel like the right move. At least not yet.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore feels like the frontrunner. He has experience with the franchise as both a player and coach, spending four seasons as the offensive coordinator, and has now served as an offensive coordinator for three separate teams in his short coaching career.

He probably wouldn't be the sexiest hire, but his addition would make sense. Certainly it would be in line with the type of hires the team has made in the past during the Jones' era.

Robert Saleh is another logical target. He was fired after a 2-3 start to the 2024 season by the New York Jets and the team absolutely cratered in the wake of that decision, going 3-9 the rest of the way. Saleh was saddled with poor quarterback play throughout his New York tenure, headlined by first-round bust Zach Wilson. How would he fare with a solid option like Dak Prescott and a strong roster behind him?

The Cowboys are a bit tricky to evaluate at the moment because they drew out the Mike McCarthy divorce and lost an entire week they could have used to interview other options.

They would be wise to interview more exciting potential candidates like Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen and Lions' defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, among others. Of that group, Kinsbury's previous head-coaching experience may make him the most appealing to Jones.

But as it stands now, Moore feels like the top option in the running.

Raiders Top Options

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RENTON, WASHINGTON - JANUARY 10: Former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll pauses as he speaks at the Seattle Seahawks press conference at Virginia Mason Athletic Center on January 10, 2024 in Renton, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

The Raiders were hot on the trail for Johnson, leaving Tom Brady and the front office to move in a new direction. They have held a number of interviews, however, so they have plenty of options to consider:

Glenn would be an excellent option but feels more likely to end up in New York. What the Raiders could really use is an excellent culture-builder, and nobody on the above list fits the bill better than Pete Carroll (Bill Belichick and Brady reuniting seems unlikely, given Belichick's current position as North Carolina's head coach and the tumultuous end to that relationship).

Carroll had legendary tenures leading both USC and the Seattle Seahawks in his long coaching career. There would be some concerns about his age (73), but Carroll would instill a winning mentality around the franchise, something it desperately needs.

The fact that Las Vegas was seemingly so interested in Johnson, however, could mean that the franchise wants to bring aboard an innovative offensive mind. That means that options like Joe Brady, Monken, Coen and Kingsbury should be in their crosshairs as the hiring process continues, and arguably would be more exciting hires than Carroll.

As it stands, however, the former Super Bowl winner is the top option among the candidates they've interviewed.

Jets Top Options

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DETROIT, MICHIGAN - DECEMBER 15: Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn of the Detroit Lions claps before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field on December 15, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Glenn. The answer here is Glenn.

The Lions' DC has experience with the franchise as a player and got the absolute most he could out of a depleted defense this past season. He's received glowing praise from Detroit head coach Dan Campbell.

"Glenn is as good a coach as you're gonna find, he's an even better human being," he told reporters earlier in January. "Look if nobody wants him, I'll take him again, I can tell you that right now. But the thought of going through another cycle and he's not somebody's head coach is ridiculous. I mean this guy is as good as they come, and he can do it all. He understands how to manage a game, he understands offense, defense, special teams, he knows how to communicate, he understands discipline of players, and he's motivating man, he's inspiring."

Glenn is also more than prepared to make the adjustment from defense to overseeing the whole operation.

"I'm a coach," he told reporters last week. "I just happen to be on defense. I understand the offense just as well as a number of people. If you want to hire me, you're going to hire a coach. You're not gonna hire a defensive coach. I'm gonna talk to the offense just as much as I'm gonna talk to the defense."

The Jets have cast an incredibly wide net in their coaching search. They've gone beyond due diligence. But among the candidates they've interviewed, Glenn should be at the top of the list.