Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was consistently viewed as the favorite for the Washington Commanders head coach job until he abruptly withdrew from the process as the team was preparing for a second interview with him. Reports are beginning to surface as to why things went down the way they did.
Dueling reports began to emerge Friday that suggested each side was blaming the other for the pairing not working out. In an appearance on the “Puck & Jim” show on 950 KJR in Seattle, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo said Johnson had interviewed poorly with the Commanders and probably was not the favorite for the job by that point anyway.
On Saturday, however, Jenna Laine of ESPN reported that Johnson was “turned off” by Washington ownership, and that he saw them as “basketball guys” who were overconfident in their football knowledge. Laine did add that she had also heard Johnson interviewed poorly.
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
Both Johnson and the Commanders seem to be trying to save face by suggesting the other was the problem, since the hire was said to be inevitable in some circles. There have also been claims that Johnson was demanding too much money, while Johnson has privately told players that he feels he has unfinished business in Detroit. It has also been said that Johnson, who has been viewed as a prime head coach candidate for two straight offseasons, wanted to be very picky about job openings and really only wanted one of the jobs that ultimately opened up.
It may well be that both Johnson and the Commanders initially saw each other as an ideal fit, but developed major doubts about each other during the interview process. Johnson will likely have a shot at other jobs in the future, while the Commanders will hope for the best under new coach Dan Quinn.
