Eagles' Brian Johnson: Head Coaching Hire in 2024?
Brian Johnson will take on a much bigger role in his third year with the Philadelphia Eagles. Johnson had previously been the Eagles' quarterback coach, but with former offensive coordinator Shane Steichen taking the Indianapolis Colts' head coaching job, the 36-year-old will now oversee the entire offense.
Philadelphia's offense and star quarterback Jalen Hurts have made huge strides under Johnson. In 2022, the Eagles finished fifth in rushing offense and third in both total and scoring offense. Hurts also improved in nearly every statistic last season and even finished as the runner-up for NFL MVP. How Johnson adjusts to his new role remains to be seen, but his existing work with the team is very encouraging.
That potentially begs the question, could Johnson become an NFL head coach soon? Even before his first game as the Eagles' offensive coordinator, some believe Johnson already has what it takes and could be a head coach come 2024.
One of those believers is NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger. The former offensive lineman, who finished his career with the Eagles in the early 90s, expressed his support for Johnson to become an NFL head coach sooner rather than later.
“It’s a quarterback-driven league, and everybody is trying to get their quarterback developed," Baldinger said via The 33rd Team. "Brian helped develop Jalen like nobody’s business. In two years, he went from a second-round pick that everybody was questioning to the MVP runner-up.
“Brian’s a smart, young guy who’s been around some really good programs, both college and pro. He’s ready to be a head coach.’’
Johnson has flirted with head-coaching opportunities before at the college level. In late 2020 and early 2021, the then-Florida offensive coordinator interviewed for the head-coach openings at both Boise State and South Carolina. Ultimately, though, he decided to jump up to the NFL level with the Eagles.
It's a testament to Johnson's coaching ability that he is already receiving such attention at this point in his career.
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