Ben Johnson decided to return to the Detroit Lions rather than become a head coach elsewhere, marking the second straight offseason he has made that decision. The official answer we received regarding Johnson’s decision was that he had “unfinished business” with the Lions and wanted to win a Super Bowl with the team. We also heard that Johnson’s monetary demands may have spooked some teams.
But the real answer for why Johnson chose to remain with the Lions may have to do with pickiness.
Mark Schlereth was a guest Tuesday on “The Wyman and Bob Show on 710 Seattle Sports.” During his appearance on the show, Schlereth, who is a host/analyst and announces NFL games for FOX, shared something interesting. Schlereth said he had spoken with Johnson a month ago, and Johnson told the analyst he was going to be selective regarding head coach jobs. Schlereth said that the only job Johnson really wanted was the Los Angeles Chargers’ one.
Interesting nugget from @markschlereth just now on with @WymanAndBob about Ben Johnson. Schlereth talked with him a little over a month ago and Johnson said he was going to be very selective and that the only place he really wanted to go was the Chargers.
— Mike Lefko (@MikeLefko) January 30, 2024
That makes plenty of sense.
The Chargers job was viewed by many people as the most desirable of the vacancies because they have what many regard as a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert. Coaches and teams need franchise quarterbacks in order to have sustained long-term success in the NFL. So it would make sense for Johnson to only go where he feels he has a quarterback with whom he can win.
Of course, the Chargers were targeting Jim Harbaugh for their job and locked up the former Michigan coach. Rather than go to a team with the quarterback position unsettled, Johnson apparently decided to pass up chances and stay with Detroit.
