The Lions’ offensive output in 2022 came as a surprise to many, but it put offensive coordinator Ben Johnson in position to interview for multiple head coaching positions. He quickly backed out of other teams’ searches for a HC, though, electing to remain in Detroit for the coming campaign. 
That decision earned him a sizeable raise, and it will give him the opportunity to continue working with head coach Dan Campbell and quarterback Jared Goff. The latter’s performance – especially in the back half of the season – helped Detroit rank fourth in total offense and fifth in scoring en route to a 9-8 finish. Johnson was viewed as an instrumental part of the team’s success, and he drew considerable interest on the head coaching market as a result.
The 37-year-old took virtual interviews with the Colts and Texans, but the job he was most closely connected to was that of the Panthers. Johnson (who had not served as a coordinator before 2022) was considered a favorite for the Carolina gig before he decided to stay in place. The allure of carrying on with Campbell and Goff in particular convinced Johnson to avoid taking a new position for at least one more year.
“He’s one of the biggest reasons why I didn’t want to leave,” Johnson said of Goff, via The Athletic’s Dan Pompei (subscription required). “I feel we are tied together to a degree. He’s an extension of me, and I’m an extension of him. I’ve told him multiple times his success is my success and vice versa.”
Goff’s success under Campbell and Johnson (as opposed to the latter’s predecessor, Anthony Lynn) came as a surprise, and it could earn him an extended look in the Motor City. The Lions have explored the idea of a new deal for the 28-year-old, despite their decision to select Hendon Hooker in this year’s draft. Two years remain on Goff’s current deal, which includes no guranteed money in 2024.
That will no doubt lead to questions about his long-term future in Detroit as the coming season plays out. Optimism for a repeat of 2022’s success would be well-founded in the fact that Johnson will still be at the helm of the team’s offense, something which may be the case for years to come beyond 2023.
I turned 50 this year. I hope I can finally see Detroit play meaningful football for once. I mean that.
I realize the franchise has been terrible, but are playoff games not meaningful football?
Yes they are! Their last playoff win was in 1991. That’s my point.
I know, however They’ve played several playoff games since, as well as big regular season games.
Vic Fangio got a HC job at age 61 so I imagine Ben Johnson still has a bit of time before the window closes on him.
And I maintain that Fangio, if given a consistent QB, could won at least two more games as an HC. Given that he won seven games twice without consistent QB play, I think that he actually did a much better job than he’s considered to have done. Not firing Pat Shurmur didn’t really help, though.
I love all the positive talk about Goff that comes from this team. The media is negative, fair weather fans are negative, but this team loves Jared Goff. I think he can prove a lot of haters wrong this year if he has a similar performance to what he did last year.
Go Goff Go
I think Goff should have received some sort of award for surviving a rookie year with Jeff Fischer as his coach. The following season, with Fischer out of the picture, Goff’s passer rating jumped about 37 points.