The presence of Tom Brady and a big salary could change the NFL coaching carousel.
Ben Johnson, the Lions’ offensive coordinator and perhaps the prize of this NFL coaching cycle, is reportedly poised to become the Raiders’ next head coach.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that those “associated with the position” believe “Johnson is the leading candidate and a lot of people think, frankly, he gets it.”
This would be a stunning turn of events considering Johnson has been picky in choosing his head coaching destination after passing up chances over the past two offseasons when he was considered the favorite.
Johnson was also thought to prefer a job that had a young quarterback in place, leading to speculation that the Bears with Caleb Williams and the Jaguars with Trevor Lawrence are viable options.
Las Vegas doesn’t have that potential at the position, with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell taking the majority of snaps last season. The Raiders have the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, with Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward two intriguing options to go early.
Johnson interviewed last week with the Bears and Jaguars, as well as the Raiders, with Detroit having a bye week before their NFC Divisional Round matchup with the Commanders on Saturday.
Brady, a minority owner, reportedly has a say in choosing the team’s next head coach after pushing owner Mark Davis to fire head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco last week following a 4-13 season.
Radio host Dan Patrick said Brady’s “appeal” helped the Raiders land Johnson, who helped resurrect the career of quarterback Jared Goff and make the Lions one of the top offenses of the NFL.
Pro Football Talk also reported that the Raiders had a “massive” offer for Johnson although the team has yet to satisfy the Rooney Rule by interviewing two minority candidates in person. Johnson himself only interviewed the team virtually.
The Raiders are one of six remaining openings, with the Bears, Jaguars, Jets, Saints and Cowboys all looking for their next head coach.
The Jets did not consider Johnson as a candidate and did not request an interview with him.
The Patriots, who have spoken with Johnson, have already hired franchise legend Mike Vrabel as their next head coach.
