REPORT: Are the Raiders Actually the Best Fit for Johnson?

The Las Vegas Raiders and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson appear to have a strong mutual interest. Johnson has interviewed with the Raiders and other teams and is in the process of weighing his options.

It has been reported that the Raiders plan to aggressively pursue Johnson's signing since the Lions were eliminated from the playoffs sooner than expected.

While Johnson and the Raiders seem all but guaranteed to happen, anything can happen in the NFL, and things change quickly. The Raiders' failing to secure Kliff Kingsbury last offseason is a testament to how fast things change in the league.

Jason Katz of Pro Football Network analyzed each of Johnson's potential suitors and their current situation. While Johnson may be the frontrunner for the Raiders' job, Katz believes the Raiders are arguably the most challenging situation for Johnson to enter as a first-time head coach.

"This landing spot is probably the most concerning," Katz said. "The Raiders do not have their 2025 starting quarterback on the roster. Johnson and the front office would quickly have to decide whether to make this a rebuilding year or pursue a veteran. If the Raiders can’t figure out their QB situation within the first two seasons, Johnson could quickly develop a reputation as one of those coaches who is better as a coordinator than running the entire show.

"Conversely, the Raiders are closer to competing than their record might suggest. Brock Bowers is already the best TE in football. He carried his offense as much as any tight end in 2024. He accounted for 29.0% of the Raiders’ receiving yards, second-most of any TE behind Trey McBride of the [Arizona] Cardinals (29.7%). In addition, that 29% share was the fourth-highest by a TE in the last 15 seasons, behind McBride, 2018 George Kittle (32.4%), and 2021 Mark Andrews (31.9%)."

Katz has a legitimate argument that the Raiders present Johnson with the fewest quality assets currently on the team compared to most of Johnson's other top options.

However, the Raiders have plenty of money to spend; they would presumably pair Johnson with a general manager he was comfortable with. They also have one of the top picks in the NFL Draft and Tom Brady to help make decisions. No other team gives Johnson all of those things.

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