After Ben Johnson turned down their interest in their head coaching job last January, the Washington Commanders clearly used media allies to try to slander the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator on a few fronts (bad first interview, high asking price, etc.)). Johnson's camp appeared to fight back a little, with a report he was not too enamored with Commanders' brass.
As part of Washington's attempt to slander Johnson, in a lengthy piece in The Athletic, this parting shot stood out.
"He (Johnson) is considered a coach who prefers holing up in his office, coming up with game plans and playing with mad scientist vibes rather than leading a locker room."
A public dismissal of Johnson as a "mad scientist" with no desire to lead a locker room was simply unfair, even if that was the "vibe" Washington's leadership got from him. But if they were going to slander Johnson, might as well leave no stones unturned.
Lazy narrative about Ben Johnson has been put to rest
ESPN's Dan Graziano has taken a fresh look at some top head coaching candidates and what openings they might be a good fit for. Johnson is No.1 on the list of 10, with Graziano's obvious expectation he will be of interest to all three teams who currently have an opening (Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets).
Graziano opined that "this feels like the year" for Johnson to take a head coaching job, backed up with some intel as to why.
"Teams are intrigued by his scheme designs and play calling prowess; the Lions are scoring 31.0 points per game on offense (No. 1 in the NFL). But people who've worked with Johnson say they believe he's more than just an offensive guru and has the ability to lead his own building, build a strong staff and shine in ways that go beyond putting points on the board."
"People who've worked with Johnson say they believe he's more than just an offensive guru and has the ability to lead his own building..."
It's possible Johnson has shown better signs of being a strong head coach since the Commanders made sure he was publicly labeled as a coach who preferred to hole up in his office and come up with game plans rather than lead a locker room. But it's interesting that some of Graziano's sources specifically said he's not seen that way (now, or ever?), however people who've worked with Johnson might be biased to advocate for him.
In any case, the lazy, flimsy "mad scientist" narrative the Commanders put out there about Johnson after he rejected them has been dismissed by Graziano's more grounded, and more credible, reporting that doesn't reek of agenda-making.
