Could Jaguars Make Lions' Ben Johnson An Offer He Can't Refuse?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are fresh off a big road win against the Tennessee Titans, but a 10-6 win against a 3-10 team doesn't stave off the inevitable.

The simple reality is that even after Sunday's win, the Jaguars are still 3-10 and amongst the most disappointing teams in the NFL this season. And the closer the Jaguars get to the end of the season, the hotter the seat gets for head coach Doug Pederson.

Pederson is still in his post as head coach, and will almost assuredly remain as so until the season ends. But when Black Monday does approach, Jaguars owner Shad Khan will have a big decision to make. And if he makes it, he could find himself crossing paths with one of the biggest coaching candidates in recent memory in Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

Speaking on Amazon Prime's pregame show for Thursday Night Football this week, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer outlined what Johnson is looking for in head coach opening.

“Well, Ben Johnson’s certainly going to be at the top of a lot of lists. But the Lions offensive coordinator is planning on taking a very different approach to this hiring cycle than he has in the last couple," Breer said.

"He will not chase interviews. If he takes an interview, it’s going to be with the intention of actually pursuing the job. And to that end, he has a couple of criteria. No. 1, he’ll be looking for organizational alignment — in particular between the GM and head coach. And then he’ll be looking for recognition from the organization of the things that have gone wrong, and a willingness to fix them.”

Simply put, there are few teams that can make an offer to Johnson like the Jaguars and Khan can. If the Jaguars were to make Johnson one of the highest-paid coaches in NFL history, full with a six-year deal and a say in personnel be enough to sway him to leave Detroit?

Johnson has taken plenty of interviews in the past, but he hasn't had to take any because he has a fantastic set up in Detroit. With a strong franchise off the field and plenty of talent on the field, Johnson doesn't have to leave Detroit unless he gets the perfect offer.

Could the Jaguars make him that offer? The Jaguars have the appeal of a franchise quarterback, plenty of cap space and draft capital and, of course, a patient owner in Khan who is willing to spend to support his team. According to league sources, those around Johnson have already expressed to him the great respect they have for Khan.

If the Jaguars were to land Johnson, it would be the biggest hire of the year. And we are just a few weeks away from finding out if they can make it happen.

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