Getty Image / Mike Mulholland
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was one of the hottest NFL head coaching candidates this cycle. But, the elite offensive mind was left without a head coaching gig after the carousel stopped turning this week when the Washington Commanders hired Dan Quinn.
Many are wondering how arguably the league’s top young offensive mind was left without a job when everyone wants to find the next Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan. But, It could be his own choice, according to new reports.
Jason Reid of ESPN had a series of tweets on the situation, attempting to dispel what he considers a myth that the Commanders didn’t think Ben Johnson interviewed well.
Here’s the entire twitter thread, put together
Thread: Been tied up working, so I missed the “report” on Ben Johnson supposedly interviewing so poorly with the
@Commanders being the reason he informed the team he wouldn’t take the job. This is all-time banana-in-the-tailpipe stuff. Even as I typed that, the mental gymnastics it would take for one to … OK. In order to believe in the veracity of this “report,” and for myriad reasons I don’t, one would have to accept that the Washington contingent that flew to meet Johnson for another interview did so knowing it would not offer him the job. Ideally, this is a time to stir buzz by picking a hot, young OC to lead the team in a new day. Logically, if Harris and others got on a plane having already determined Johnson wasn’t their guy, then Commanders fans should be concerned, gravely, about this process. Logically, this makes no sense. Add to that the fact that Quinn, whom they could have hired two weeks ago, was left on his own to schlep through Reagan, where he was spotted and questioned by a reporter, and what happened here is crystal clear. Teams never want their top guy for a HC job to be put in position to meet with a reporter/reporters before a deal is wrapped up. Owners take no risks with this. Too much could go wrong and scuttle the process. That’s why they fly top guys on private jets or fly to them and meet at FBOs. Trust me on this. The fact that Quinn flew commercial outta Reagan and then they gave him the job after Johnson’s text (to text while they were already in the air is straight gangsta) is the tell. Needless to say, Johnson didn’t make any friends at Commanders Park or whatever it’s called now. That established, all that matters now is that Quinn wins. If he does that, the process that resulted in his getting the job won’t matter. Many people I trust in the league have told me the new GM is really sharp; keen eye for talent. They have the No. 2 overall pick and cap space. And, obviously, the best news of all for Commanders fans is that Snyder is still gone. It would appear Harris did a good job on handling the GM search. Not so much on the HC search. So he’s batting .500, so to speak, which is a whole lot better than the previous guy did.
ESPN’s Jenna Laine then chimed in.
Was told that Ben Johnson was "turned off" by Commanders ownership, that they're "basketball guys" and felt they were a little too confident in their football opinions. And I also heard that he "didn't interview well." He said, he said, but clearly not a good fit for both sides. https://t.co/negeevYsha
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) February 3, 2024
Yeah, this idea that it was the Commanders who stopped pursuing Ben Johnson just doesn’t add up. He was arguably the hottest candidate on the market. Plus, with the franchise holding the second-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and likely taking quarterback, Ben Johnson would’ve been a great to get the most out of that young player, regardless of who they picked.