Report: Ben Johnson Returning to Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is returning for another season in Motown.
According to the NFL Network, the 37-year-old coordinator informed the Seahawks and the Commanders of his decision to return to work under head coach Dan Campbell and to work toward winning a Lombardi Trophy in Detroit.
The talented offensive coordinator struck up an excellent partnership with quarterback Jared Goff, as the passer has enjoyed two of the best seasons of his career working with Johnson.
He was the team’s tight ends coach when Dan Campbell arrived in 2021, but received a promotion when Campbell took over the play-calling duties from then-offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn.
Johnson had been tied to the Washington vacancy, since the organization hired Adam Peters to be its general manager.
“I know him (Peters) just very briefly,” Johnson said. “I’ve heard nothing but fantastic things about people that have worked with him directly or that have met him over the course of scouting on the road. So, I look forward to meeting him and talking with him.”
Johnson had interview requests from six teams across the league. Among them were the Seahawks, the Panthers, the Chargers, the Falcons and the Titans, along with the Commanders.
Both Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn were popular candidates during this head coach hiring cycle.
Detroit is seeking to maintain its high level of success from this past season in 2024, especially after making a deep run in the postseason this year.
Dan Campbell noted in his final media session Monday that consistency was key to maintaining success and not falling off the map quickly.
"You’ve got to stay consistent, which we’ve done for three years now. Stay true to what you believe in," said Campbell. "When it comes time to start over, you start over. And, it’s all about, like what I said, the hard work, the detail. We’ve got to be physical.
"That’s part of who we are, but if you start to deviate off of what you’ve been – and I think the other thing you’ve got to be careful, you fall in a trap with, the more success you have with these players, the more attached you get. And, you’ve got to be careful you don’t get blinded and that’s hard, that’s hard to do. You’ve got to see it for what it is, step back and make sure the player is producing and is capable of producing at a high level and take your emotions out of it.”
