SO SAD: Lions offensive coordinators’ official turned down a new commanders offer today.
Ben Johnson, the Lions offensive coordinator, was “turned off” by the new Commanders ownership
Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, was one of the most sought-after NFL head coaching prospects this season. However, when the Washington Commanders signed Dan Quinn this week, the wheel stopped moving and the brilliant offensive mind was left without a head coaching position.
While everyone is looking for the next Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan, many are wondering how the league’s best young offensive mind went unemployed. That might, however, be his own decision, according recent reports.
ESPN’s Jason Reid tweeted about the matter in an effort to debunk the rumor that Ben Johnson wasn’t a good interview for the Commanders.
This is a compilation of the complete Twitter thread.
Thread: Due to work commitments, I was unable to see the “report” that Ben Johnson told the team he wouldn’t accept the job after a purportedly awful interview, with the @Commanders being the cause behind his decision. This is classic “banana in the tailpipe” material. The mental acrobatics it would take to… OK, even as I type that. One would have to accept that the Washington contingent who flew to meet Johnson for another interview did so knowing it if they were to believe in the authenticity of this “report,” which I do not for a variety of reasons.
Fans of Commanders should be extremely concerned about this process if Harris and the other individuals boarded the plane knowing that Johnson wasn’t their match. This does not make sense logically. What happened here is obvious when you consider that Quinn, whom they might have employed two weeks ago, was left to trudge through Reagan on his own before being noticed and questioned by a reporter. Teams never want to put their best candidate for a head coach post in a position to speak with reporters prior to the completion of a deal. This carries no danger for the owners.
.. The process could be derailed by too many things going wrong. That’s the reason they fly the best guys in private planes or travel to meet at FBOs. I promise you this. The telltale sign is that Quinn flew commercial out of Reagan and was hired shortly after Johnson texted him—texting while in the air is a very gangsta move. Johnson, it goes without saying, didn’t make any friends at Commanders Park, or whatever the new name is. Now that this is known, Quinn’s victory is the only thing that matters. The procedure that led to him being hired will be irrelevant if he takes that action. I’ve heard from a lot of reliable sources in the league that the incoming general manager has an excellent eye for talent.
Yes, it doesn’t make sense that the Commanders abandoned their pursuit of Ben Johnson. Arguably, he was the most desirable applicant available. Beside that, Ben Johnson would have been a terrific choice to maximize the potential of that young kid regardless of the team’s selection, since they held the second-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and were probably going to select quarterback.
