It was an unlikely scenario, but the Detroit Lions lost on Saturday night in the Divisional Round. The implications for this year's hiring cycle for head coaches was obvious, with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as top candidates who can now do in-person interviews as soon as Monday.
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Johnson is seen as a top candidate for three current openings, the Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars. The sentiment changes practically by the day in terms of how serious a candidate he is for each of them, and how each may or may not (or should or should not) appeal to him. The Dallas Cowboys could also surface, though ESPN's Adam Schefter dismissed that possibility as Glenn has been tied to that job.
Before Sunday night's game between the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports had a report regarding Johnson and the jobs he has been most prominently tied to lately.
"So the Raiders, they're going to make a big push in the coming days to land Ben Johnson," Jones said. "Mark Davis ceded this to Tom Brady.....Johnson's going to decide tonight and into tomorrow when and where he's going to interview."
The Raiders will not waste time to try to finish their courtship of Ben Johnson
The Raiders, with minority owner Brady taking a prominent role in their head coaching search, have reportedly been "enamored" with Johnson. On Sunday morning Ian Rapoport of NFL Network re-affirmed his prior reporting that the Raiders are enamored with Johnson and how he is considered the favorite for the job.
From @NFLGameDay: A look at the #Rams mindset after a tumultuous week; Plus, the #Raiders are still enamored with #Lions OC Ben Johnson and will work to schedule an in-person interview with him. But he’ll have options. pic.twitter.com/l4ZrZAb1XY
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 19, 2025
Rapoport's mention of Johnson having options speaks to what the Raiders are doing. They are moving quickly to get to the front of the line to get him in for a face-to-face interview, since there is no further impediment to hiring him. Jones' report from later on Sunday confirmed the push to land him is coming.
The Raiders will not be alone, as Johnson seems sure to further explore all three of his prominent options before making a decision about his future later this coming week. But credit to them for pulling no punches in an effort to land the guy they covet the most to be their new head coach.
