3 Lions on the Chopping Block After Ben Johnson's Departure

Only two days after the Lions' disappointing divisional-round loss to the Washington Commanders, the anticipated departure of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was officially announced. On Monday, it was reported that the Chicago Bears were hiring Johnson as their next head coach.

The Lions had the best offensive unit in the league in 2024, scoring more points than anybody. Johnson was the architect behind this success despite working with a non-elite quarterback like Jared Goff. His departure will almost certainly hurt Detroit in the short and medium term.

How Dan Campbell will choose to replace Johnson remains to be seen but this move puts a couple of Lions on the chopping block.

QB Jared Goff

Goff had the best seasons of his career under Ben Johnson in Detroit. He was a promising young quarterback in Los Angeles, making two Pro Bowls and leading them to a deep postseason run. It wasn't until he arrived in Detroit that Goff was under center for the best offensive unit in the NFL.

Johnson was a mastermind in hiding Goff's weaknesses and holes in his game. Even though those shortcomings were hard to overcome in the playoffs, Goff and Johnson had an excellent partnership for the past four seasons.

Whoever replaces Johnson as the offensive coordinator will be tasked with continuing to get the most out of Goff. Considering how poorly the Commanders game went, the Lions would be wise to bring in a quality QB2 to have as a backup option in case things go south next season.