Wild Factor that May Have Led to the Raiders Losing Out on Ben Johnson

The Las Vegas Raiders still find themselves in need of a head coach in spite of the fact that it looked like they were about to close the deal on their top guy.

The Raiders just watched former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson take the Chicago Bears job, leaving them hanging and stunning the fan base in the process.

Just about everyone thought Johnson was headed to Las Vegas, but in the end, he spurned the Raiders for the team with the franchise quarterback and the talented offensive weaponry.

Perhaps we shouldn't be too surprised.

But you know how the Raiders probably lost Johnson? By beating the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints toward the end of the NFL season.

Las Vegas was headed for the No. 1 overall pick prior to topping the Jaguars on Dec. 22. Beating Jacksonville thwarted that dream. Defeating the Saints torpedoed it.

The Raiders fell all the way to sixth in the draft order, which likely ruined their chances of landing Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward in the NFL Draft. And if it didn't wreck Las Vegas' dreams completely, it at least made it exceedingly difficult for the Raiders to land either quarterback.

And while we obviously don't know for sure, that may very well have been what cost Las Vegas its top coaching candidate. Or at least it played a role.

Think about it: why would Johnson—an offensive guru—comfortably choose to take his first head-coaching gig with a team that currently has no idea who its quarterback will be next season?

The Bears know, as Caleb Williams had an impressive rookie campaign and is surrounded by enticing weapons like DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet. The Raiders do have Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, but they do not possess the overall talent depth of Chicago offensively.

That must have played in Johnson's mind, and it could be why he decided to take the Bears job. And really, you can't blame him.

Yes, Johnson would have been a legend had he lifted the Raiders franchise from the doldrums, where it has now been for over two decades. But he also would have been taking a massive risk.

You know how it goes: the head coach is almost always the scapegoat, so if Johnson would have failed in Vegas, he may have had a difficult time getting another head-coaching position again.

Instead, Johnson chose the safer option, and it's really hard to fault him for it.

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