5 Lions Leaving Detroit in the New Year

OC Ben Johnson

This is one that Lions fans desperately don't want to see. Everything mentioned previously about Aaron Glenn applies in a more significant way to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

Johnson has been everyone's favorite first-time head coach candidate for a long time. The 38-year-old already interviewed with the Panthers in 2023 and with the Commanders and the Seahawks last offseason. He decided to remain in Detroit in both offseasons. He will once again be the most sought-after coach on the market.

In his third season with the Lions, Johnson firmly established himself as an offensive genius and the best OC in the league. Detroit has been a top-five offensive unit every season since he took over in 2022, both in terms of points and yards. They scored the most points in the NFL so far this season.

Doing so with a quarterback with some limitations to his game is certainly impressive. As good as Jared Goff has been as a Lion, he is not a top-five quarterback in the league. The rest of this Lions offense doesn't scream an elite unit, either. But finding consistent success with it understandably made Johnson the hottest name in the coaching carousel.

Chicago's interest in Johnson is well-documented. The Cowboys would certainly pique Johnson's interest. More positions could open depending on how the playoffs go. It will be hard to keep Johnson in Detroit for another season but a Super Bowl win and a chance to repeat could perhaps be enough of a challenge to incentivize him to come back.

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