Insider Makes It Clear Where Jaguars Stand With Lions' Ben Johnson

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been connected to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for weeks -- frankly, for even longer than that.

Despite this, it seems like many in the national media and overall NFL media sphere have forgotten about the Jaguars when it comes to the race for Johnson. The Las Vegas Raiders' pursuit of Johnson has been the latest fad to take over this year's news cycle, while the Chicago Bears have always been the media favorite to land Johnson.

But while the Jaguars may not get the same amount of Johnson coverage as the Bears and the Raiders, one insider believes it is too early to count the Jaguars out.

According to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz, it is too early to simply say Johnson is going to the Raiders; instead, the Jaguars and Bears are still in the mix.

The #Raiders are interested in Ben Johnson, and vise-versa. But it’s too early to call him the favorite.

As I mentioned yesterday on @TheHerd with @colincowherd, pump the brakes — Johnson is still very much in play for both Chicago and Jacksonville. pic.twitter.com/CeZw5toQTa
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 17, 2025

"I'm not willing to go so far as to say that Ben Johnson is the favorite with the Raiders. I know the Raiders really like him. I know that he has multiple options, including Jacksonville, which is a really good job, and the Bears," Schultz said.

"And we know he interviewed with the Patriots, and the reason he did that was so that he could have a trial run, knowing that it was most likely going to be Mike Vrabel, and that's exactly what happened. So he interviewed on purpose with New England first, but the Raiders are in the mix, and we've talked about this. Tom Brady is a big factor there, as he should be. But if you're Ben Johnson, and you have your pick of the litter, you're going to take a long look at where you can win and where you can develop. And the Raiders, although a lot to be said about that franchise historically, do not have a quarterback, and they do not have the roster, quite frankly, as a Chicago or a Jacksonville."

Simply put, Johnson will likely have his pick of a job at some point. For now, he is focused on the playoffs and is a few weeks away from having to make a decision, unless the Lions have a surprise loss in the divisional round.

As things stand today, all options should be considered possible for Johnson -- including the Jaguars.

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