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    • Could Lions OC coach Bears in 2025?
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    Could Lions OC coach Bears in 2025?

    Online Niel Posted on

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    Ben Johnson has been one of the most sought-after coaching candidates in the league over the past two offseasons, and it’s easy to see why.

    Johnson drove Detroit Lions to great offensive success in each of his two seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator. Detroit has one of the best running attacks in the NFL under the title David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbsbut Johnson’s work returns Jared Goff in one of the league’s most accurate defenders earned the same accolades.

    At just 38 years old, Johnson has the makings of the next offensive prodigy to take the NFL coaching ranks by storm.

    He also finds himself in a rare position of power among coaching candidates. He can be selective in evaluating which job to take, with most NFL teams who figure to have interest in him, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter detailed in a Wednesday, Nov. 7, appearance on “Get Up” .

    “I think if Ben Johnson interviews with anybody this year, he’s going to interview with the intention of taking that job,” Schefter said.

    With that in mind, which teams could be of interest to Johnson? A few potential openings come to mind as strong landing spots if he decides to leave lions in 2025.

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    If Bears part with Matt Eberflus after the 2024 season, Chicago could end up being the best fit for Johnson. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said in a recent radio interview that Johnson was “linked to the Chicago job” last season before the Bears decided to keep Eberflus.

    “There were some people who thought this was the one he wanted,” Breer said.

    That Johnson would be interested in the Bears is wise. Chicago has a well-built defense and spent the no. 1 in the 2024 NFL Draft on Caleb Williamswho was viewed as a top prospect. Johnson could work to develop Williams into a pro passer while finding the best way to utilize Chicago’s plethora of offensive weapons, which include DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet and D’Andre Swift.

    Either way, Chicago looks poised to win, which could allow Johnson to enjoy immediate success while remaining in the NFC North.

    Mike McCarthy drove Cowboys to three consecutive 12-5 seasons, but entered the 2024 season on thin ice with Jerry Jones. Barring major improvement, the loyal owner might be willing to make a coaching change and try to spark his team, which hasn’t won a Super Bowl since 1996.

    The Cowboys have talent on their roster and their passing game looks good Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb on long-term transactions. The two could be of interest to Johnson, though he would certainly like to add talent to the team’s solid but unspectacular offensive line and bleak running back.

    While Dallas’ defense took a step back in 2024 under Mike Zimmer, Johnson could be sold on the unit improving with a change. After all, the Cowboys routinely had one of the league’s best defenses under Dan Quinn.

    If Johnson wants to go to New York, it could end up being his choice Giants or the New York Jets. Schefter referenced in his reporting that Johnson may want to avoid dysfunction where possible, so that could draw him back to a Jets organization that was more of a circus than a stable franchise long before he came along. Aaron Rodgers era.

    The Giants have had a lot of coaching turnover in recent seasons as well, but Johnson could take solace in the fact that owner John Mara is looking for stability in coaching. Johnson might also be interested in working with Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinsontwo strong receivers he could use as focal points of his offense.

    The upside of joining the Giants is that Johnson could also pick their next starting quarterback, in all likelihood. It is expected to replace New York Daniel Jones during the 2025 offseason, so if Johnson really likes one of the quarterbacks available in the 2025 NFL Draft, he could sell the Giants with a view to selecting him as the team’s next starter.

    Todd Bowles drove Buccaneers to back-to-back playoff appearances, so his spot is certainly far from burning. That said, Tampa Bay’s defense enters Week 10 ranked dead last in both yards and points allowed, so it might make general manager Jason Licht consider a change.

    If so, the Buccaneers could look to promote offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who has helped Baker Mayfield threw a league-leading 23 touchdowns in nine weeks as their new head coach. If not, it would make sense to hire an offensive coach who can continue to get the most out of Mayfield, just as Coen and Dave Canales have done the past two seasons.

    The Buccaneers are three-deep with cost-controlled running backs, have a decent offensive line, and also have a plethora of weapons in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Otto falls. Johnson could quickly turn Tampa Bay’s offense into something similar to Detroit’s while bringing another assistant on board to improve the team’s shaky defense.

    As such, this landing spot can’t be ruled out, even if Bowles isn’t a sure thing to keep.

    It could Bengalis breaking up with Zac Taylor after the 2024 NFL season? It doesn’t seem likely, but it’s at least possible.

    The Bengals missed the playoffs in 2023 and are off to a slow start under Taylor. This year, they went 1-4 through their first five games, so if Mike Brown is tired of that trend and thinks a change is needed to keep Cincinnati’s Super Bowl window open, this could prompt them to make a switch and target another young, offensive-minded player like Johnson.

    It’s fun to imagine what Johnson could do with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase tandem. Cincinnati’s running game is also taking steps back Chase Brownso Johnson could keep the Bengals playing at a high level and maybe improve Taylor’s tendency for slow starts.

    Still, this matchup appears to be the longest shot of Johnson’s top options. But if the Bengals falter, it can’t be ruled out as a possibility.

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