JANUARY 29: In an update on where the Commanders’ search stands, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports confirms Johnson is currently seen as the favorite to be hired. Other candidates like Dan Quinn (Cowboys) and Mike Macdonald (Ravens) are still in the running, though that is also the case for both defensive coordinators as it pertains to the Seahawks’ opening. With the Lions having been eliminated last night, Johnson is free to speak with and accept an offer from Washington or Seattle at any time.
JANUARY 27: Ben Johnson entered the 2023 season having generated head coaching interest after only one year as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. His work this campaign has confirmed his status as one of the most sought-after staffers in the league, and signs continue to point him to the nation’s capital in the near future. 
Johnson was reported earlier this month to be the top target for both the Panthers and Commanders. In Carolina’s case in particular, that came as no surprise. Panthers owner David Tepper made a concerted effort to land him during last year’s hiring cycle, and he was expected to deliver another strong push this offseason. Ultimately, though, Carolina elected to bring in Dave Canales after his one-year OC stint with the Buccaneers.
Once the Commanders tapped Adam Peters as their new GM, Johnson was named as a candidate to watch as the new head coach to pair with him. The latter has upped his stock considerably during his two-year run at the helm of Detroit’s offense, and the unit has played a central role in the team’s run to the NFC title game. Once the Lions’ postseason journey ends, as Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline writes, the expectation around the league remains that Johnson will be hired by the Commanders.
Teams still in contention for the Super Bowl are prohibited from having their coordinators take part in head coaching interviews during the week leading up to the conference championship games. Washington’s second interview with Johnson will therefore not take place until Detroit’s season comes to an end. The Commanders – who are joined by the Seahawks in having the league’s only remaining HC vacancies – are prepared to wait for Sunday’s games to take place before making their respective hires.
Commanders owner Josh Harris made the expected move of dismissing Ron Rivera on Black Monday, and his hand-picked committee moved quickly in landing on Peters to serve as general manager. The latter will directly oversee the team’s new head coach, a departure from the organizational structure in place during Rivera’s tenure. Johnson will be a rookie head coach if/when he is hired this year, though the same is also true of Peters after his decision to depart his AGM gig with the 49ers.
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has also drawn considerable interest during this year’s cycle, and he too has a second Commanders interview lined up. Johnson is joined by Texans OC Bobby Slowik in terms of staffers with an offensive background who have drawn significant interest this year, and both have met once with the Seahawks. Seattle does not have a second meeting with Johnson on the books, however, leaving his connection with Washington something to watch closely in the coming days.
Two open HC slots yet Vrabel, Belichick, Johnson, Slowik, Quinn, and others still available. Commanders and Seahawks moving slowly but really haven’t missed out on much. Feel like Belichick is done, neither will give him roster control nor seem interested. Feel bad for Vrabel as he deserves a fresh shot and could do well at either.
If Washington goes Johnson or Slowik what does that mean for Bienemy? At least with Vrabel or Quinn they keep Bienemy around to run the offense.
Feel bad for whoever ends up in Seattle with with Pete Carroll still in the building and looming over them the entire season.
Hard to imagine Bill is done. Very often big name coaches are out of the game a year before coming back in. Very likely the same for Vrabel and perhaps Pete as well.
Vrabel hasn’t led a team to a championship like Bill and Pete so a year of idleness likely wouldn’t improve his employment prospects. Gruden is trying to sneak in the back door down in New Orleans so I suppose anything is possible.
Vrabel can afford to sit out a year more than Carroll or Belichick, since those two have old age and longevity working against them. Plus another year might make Ohio State offer Vrabel a fortune.
I don’t think that about Mike V. Back to back losing seasons, then fired? Followed by no HC interviews this year? He needs a coordinating job of some sort. He would be wise to take on a STC or running game job etc. to learn more about all phases of the game.
I get that Vrabel’s overseen two straight losing years, but he began his career with four straight winning seasons before that, he’s still under 50, and I think he’s still seen as having gotten rosters to overachieve. He was working with a bottom five roster this year. If he takes a coordinator job, it would presumably be DC, but I think he would hold out for a head coach job and get one next year, if not Seattle this offseason.
I know he would only take a DC job. My point is I believe it would be better to get more experience throughout the coaching ranks. I know that’ll never happen though.
Or go to a HC that plays a different style of O than he ran. Exposure to different ideas is always good. Everyone will know he’s looking for a HC position next offseason, so why not get a year running something other than D and be able to use that in his interviews? He’s already been canned, so why whine over a 1 year title?
After the Patriots debacle at OC, I’m not sure how many teams are interested in giving a defensive coach his first crack at coordinating a different unit for education purposes. I’ve assumed that if Vrabel gets a head coach job, Arthur Smith will be his OC. His Falcons tenure may not have been sunshine and roses, but those two both did their best work together. Aside from severe personnel problems, I think the failure to adequately replace Smith was the biggest problem with Vrabel’s last two years.
That’s why I said position coach. Same thing happened in Miami. Flores had 2 OC’s there which backfired and he got canned as well.
Two we things we know are losing teams continually chew through punters and kickers. Whereas good teams have stability at those positions. Which is always followed by ‘Kickers and punters aren’t football players!’. Everyone rooting for Detroit last night wish they kicked those 2 95% chance makable FG’s. Most likely they’d be in the SB.
Less injury, why do bad teams never have stability at those positions? It would be study for him, but do it as position coach. Be humble. No coach knows every position inside out, so use the year learning a position he needs brushing up on. That’s my suggestion.
Pete and Bill both can’t be looked at as a long term solution. Good fit for a team already improving. With the money they have earned both can definitely afford financially to sit out.
Carroll got kicked upstairs and Belichick has been exposed as a loser. Any NFL club in rebuild mode doesn’t want the old-boy network.
Belichick and Caroll are done, at least in the NFL. As good as they’ve been, a team has no future with either.
Vrabel is a more interesting case. He’ll get another chance, who knows if in this cycle though.
Doesn’t seem like Carroll is all that into the ceremonial position. Seems most likely Slowik doesn’t land a job this cycle. A second year coordinating with Stroud should only solidify him. I suspect that if Vrabel lands a head coach job, Arthur Smith will be his OC. As for Bieniemy, I wouldn’t be shocked if he ends up OC in Pittsburgh. More of a guess than anything.
Pete was interested in the San Diego job. It sounds like he reached out to them but they were talking to Harbaugh already.
Vrabel should be the Eagles HC but Jeffrey and Howie want a puppet they can control not a guy who will tell them where to stick it when they question him or try to infuse their football knowledge and IQ on his scheme and game plan.
Man, this was the guy I was hoping Poles would have the sack to hire. But no, he played it “safe” and kept Eberflub.
A couple of teams that hired HC already are going to regret not waiting on this guy, unless he decides to stay put.
It’s a rather crazy system in place. Still coaching coordinators can’t interview, yet the ones that have interviewed know they aren’t being hired otherwise it would have already happened.
I understand the league doesn’t want a current coordinator distracted building his coaching staff with games still being played. So let all interviews after Championship Sunday. 2 weeks away from the SB allows teams to do 1 online interview. Those that pass that, then fly to their cities, if still coaching otherwise fly the candidate to their stadium, for in person interviews. Set a time for each interview, 90 minutes? No idea the actual length of interviews, but make it feasible for the SB coaching coordinators to get vetted, but not distracted for too long game planning for the SB.
I think we can all agree that the system is broken. The Rooney Rule doesn’t work from any realistic viewpoint. The Coaches who are in the Playoffs are at a distinct advantage because by the time they even get to interview for the job they might really want will probably be gone. Some of the minority coaches just get sham interviews to satisfy the rule. Team owners and GM’s re going to hire the guy they want to hire no matter how many guys they interview and most decisions are probably made way before that process even starts. The rule might have had good intentions, But it’s time to move on.
I’m staying away from the Rooney Rule. If an owner and GM don’t want the best candidate, then they can have more losing seasons. Enough said.
The recently hired HC’s have already filled out their staff while the still coaching coordinators have to ‘scrape the bottom of the barrel’ to find DC/OC’s plus the other 20 some coaches. Whoever gets hired in DC & Seattle better have a long network list. It’s 100% biased against the teams that have to wait as well.
I don’t think Ben wants to leave Detroit yet. Both teams can take Aaron Glenn
No idea what Glenn is a hot candidate. Same for the old Philly OC from last season. Lions D & Philly’s O were pretty bad most of the year.
‘no idea why…’
If someone takes Glenn, Detroit will get a draft pick (3rd Rd??) in 2025 to parlay on a prospect coming off of an injury.
I doubt Aaron Glenn gets the job.
Bullshit. Our rush D was top of the league/#2 depending on the metric, and we were starting 2-3 rookies on the unit, and were without our top 2 DB’s the vast majority of the year (CJGJ & Moseley). I know we never really had Moseley so it’s easy for people to forget that fact, but Sutton is a borderline #3/depth CB on an average NFL team and we had to run him out there against opposing teams #1’s. Snap back to reality my friend.
You can have him, good riddance.