The Detroit Lions are one of the envies of the NFL in 2024, and will have other teams shopping for some of the talent when the offseason arrives.
Two of the first names on everybody's list will be offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who have both shepherded top units under the direction of coach Dan Campbell to help the Lions reach a 12-1 record, and become the first NFC team to clinch a playoff spot.
On Monday, ESPN released a top-10 list of potential NFL coaching candidates for the offseason. Three teams — the Chicago Bears, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints — have already fired their head coach. Johnson was listed as the top head coaching option, and Glenn was fourth and the highest-ranked defensive coordinator.
Johnson, in charge of the NFL's highest-scoring offense averaging 32.1 points per game, ranked ahead of Mike Vrabel, the former Tennessee Titans head coach, who was No. 2. Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest football coach of all time, was named No. 3.
"The architect of the Lions' explosive offense that has propelled Detroit to Super Bowl contender status, Johnson is the clear top candidate in this cycle," ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote. "He has toyed with some open jobs the past couple of years, and it's always possible he could test the waters yet decide to stay put once again. But this feels like the year for Johnson, and he could have several options."
Graziano said he expects Johnson to be "of interest" to the three current teams with openings, and expects that number of interested teams to grow.
Johnson is in his third full season as the Lions' offensive coordinator, and has had a top-five scoring unit in each year. He has helped facilitate Jared Goff's revival, and the breakouts of young players such as Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell.
"I expect Johnson to be of interest to each of the three teams that currently have openings, at the very least," Graziano wrote. "Bears fans in particular are enamored with the idea of seeing what Johnson could do with quarterback Caleb Williams and those talented wide receivers."
In his fourth season as defensive coordinator, Glenn ranked just ahead of fellow defensive coordinators Brian Flores and Vance Joseph, both former head coaches. Glenn has helped transform a defense that struggled in his first three seasons to a bonafide strength of the team despite losing key starters to long-term injuries.
After Thursday night's win over the Packers, the Lions are tied for the second-best scoring defense (18 points allowed per game) with the Denver Broncos.
Along with helping turn around the defense, Glenn is widely seen as a great leader in the Lions locker room. Players consistently credit him with putting them in the right spots, even as the new names trickle in, and he was voted as the NFL's top defensive coordinator in 2023 by an NFL Player's Association survey.
"Glenn is a former NFL defensive back who played for two of the teams with open jobs (Jets and Saints) and two more that could have openings (Jaguars and Cowboys)," Graziano wrote.
"Glenn's credentials are strong, as are his connections. He is and deserves to be a serious candidate."
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The Lions are in uncharted territory as a franchise with the longest active winning streak in their 90-year history, and are big favorites for the NFC's top overall playoff seed. One price they may pay is potentially having to replace both coordinators.
The Lions had one other connection on ESPN's list: Former Lions quarterback and current Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who transitioned into coaching after playing, ranked at No. 8.
Former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter also showed up on the list at No. 10 after leading the Los Angeles Chargers to the top-ranked scoring defense through the first 13 weeks of his NFL coordinating career. Minter followed former Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh in moving from Ann Arbor to Los Angeles, and is proving his defensive scheme remains effective at the next level.
"He worked for John Harbaugh in Baltimore from 2017 to 2020, and he succeeded Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan when Macdonald became Ravens defensive coordinator in 2022," Graziano wrote. "After winning a national title at Michigan, Minter followed Harbaugh to Los Angeles and is coordinating one of the top defenses in the league in his first season. Macdonald, now in Seattle, is the league's youngest head coach, and his success only strengthens Minter's Harbaugh-backed case."
