DECEMBER 5: While Johnson is sure to have several suitors during the 2024 hiring cycle, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes his preferred destination would be the Chargers. It remains to be seen if Los Angeles’ offseason evaluation of the coaching and front office staffs will produce a change, but in the event it does there will apparently be mutual interest between team and candidate in this case.
NOVEMBER 28: The Lions’ continued ascent under Dan Campbell stands to make his coordinators high-end HC candidates in 2024. While Aaron Glenn figures to generate additional interest, Ben Johnson will be a sure bet to land multiple interviews.
One of those requests may come from the Chargers, who have yet to make a decision on Brandon Staley. But with the defense-minded HC looking likely to be fired after this season, The Athletic’s Joe Person notes many in league circles expect the Chargers to have Johnson atop their wish list in 2024 (subscription required).
Regardless of the Bolts’ potential vacancy, Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer offers that Johnson will be the top offense-oriented coach on the market. Considering where NFL hiring has landed over the past several offseasons, that may well make him the top candidate available. This is obviously before we know if Bill Belichick will become a coaching free agent or if the iconic New England sideline presence will be a trade option for teams. But Johnson may end up receiving multiple offers this time around.
Johnson, 37, jumped off the 2023 coaching carousel early, opting to remain with the Lions for a second season as OC. The Panthers were interested in the North Carolina native — to the point David Tepper had him positioned as the team’s top candidate early in the run. Johnson was not interested in that job, and although the Panthers are again believed to be eyeing a coach with an offensive background (even after the historically quick Frank Reich firing), it is difficult to believe Johnson would be overly interested this time around. With Tepper having canned a third coach in-season since 2019, his reputation continues to plummet. The Panthers are 30-63 since Tepper bought the team in 2018.
The Chargers have enjoyed more success than the Panthers in that span, but they have also developed an earned reputation for squandering opportunities. Staley has presided over the latest round of those, and his tenure will likely be best remembered for the 27-point collapse in last year’s wild-card round. Barring a dramatic late-season turnaround, the Bolts should be expected to move on from the first-time HC. The Chargers have not fired a coach in-season since Kevin Gilbride in 1998, making it more likely than not Staley stays on to close out his third campaign. The Bolts sit 4-7 after three consecutive losses, one of which coming against the Lions.
While Staley’s defenses have underwhelmed, as injuries continue to affect the unit, the AFC’s Los Angeles job will be attractive due to Justin Herbert‘s presence. Herbert will likely be the best quarterback attached to a coaching vacancy in 2024. At 25 and signed to an extension that runs through 2029, the Pro Bowl quarterback will be a key variable on the 2024 coaching carousel.
L.A.’s current play-caller, Kellen Moore, has more experience running an offense than Johnson, who is in his second season calling plays. But Johnson has done plenty to elevate the Lions, overseeing a Jared Goff resurgence. The throw-in piece in the 2021 Matthew Stafford trade, Goff bounced back in 2022 and sits 11th in QBR this season. He ranked fifth in this metric last year — a career-best placement. The Lions went from 25th offensively in 2021 to fifth in Johnson’s first season as the full-time play-caller. Through 11 games this year, Detroit ranks seventh in scoring and sixth in offensive DVOA.
Although Johnson took a risk by not pursuing HC jobs to the end in this year’s cycle, he both received a Lions raise and remains a valued commodity going into the 2024 hiring period. The Bolts bet on an inexperienced coordinator in 2021, hiring Staley after his one season as the Rams’ DC. Johnson, who has been with the Lions since 2019, would be a similar hire. But as an up-and-coming presence on the offensive side, the Detroit assistant may have his pick of the 2024 openings.
No point in taking the job if the current GM says in place. he’s bad.
You have no idea what you are talking about. The chargers have one of the most talented roster on paper and that is the GMs doing.
Try again. From google. Big names doesn’t mean great talent. Tom sucks!
Tom Telesco is a football coach in the National Football League (NFL) and has been the general manager for the Los Angeles Chargers since 2013. During this time period, the Chargers compiled a 79-83-0 record.
The keyword that makes your stance weak is that you said “On Paper” Teams that are successful are not just great On Paper they are also great On the Field.
10 years in, & sub .500 is now great on field? Always thought you had to be around .750 winning percentage to make the playoffs in at any level, guess not.
Spanos will lowball him on salary anyway.
They should be interested. Thing is, which young and successful coordinator and first time head coach would you rather take a chance on-the guy who has a year’s familiarity with your offense, or a completely new presence? If the Chargers want a completely fresh, new experience, perhaps Johnson is the pick. On the other hand, Moore has only been there less than a season to this point. He’s not exactly committed to the Staley way would be in all likelihood, but he’s familiar enough with the staffer, environment, and players.
You don’t figure that the two would pair up together-even less so given Moore’s recent experience of having to balance his offense with the presence of another offensive playcaller in Mike McCarthy. I’d wager that Moore would want to exercise freedom in his calls, either as O.C. or head coach. I get the desire to leave the Staley era behind, but if you’re going with a young and upcoming offensive coordinator, there is one in house as well. Either candidate seems like a good option right now, I’d say.
Ben Johnson doesn’t check many diversity boxes. And don’t pretend that doesn’t matter nowadays – as it is rewarded with draft picks by the NFL…
Don’t pretend like the league has a ton of minority HCs either. 3 total and 4 if you really want to stretch it with Mike McDaniels.
There is no stretching anything, Mike McDaniels is a minority head coach.
I get that Staley has underwhelmed this year and flubbed the playoff posting last season. That stated it’s not necessarily a good thing to change coaching every couple years requiring your ‘pro bowl’ QB to learn a new system, not to mention the rest of an offense that has been bumbling throughout this season.
Staley needs to evaluate himself and his concepts on D better.
Moore is not doing such a horrible job of mixing up plays if’n he’d get away from ‘Marty ball’ and “run on first down” so much.
Neither coach fumbles balls nor drops passes – that’s on players and there should be consequences for players that have those issues. Who’s the coach that if you lose a ball you get benched for a series or two? Might be an option? Since you can’t take a player out behind the building and kick their butt or make em wear a dumbass hat during practice there has to be accountability in that frame.
Bottom line – has Moore enough experience to manage all faucets of a game or is he still just a OC? Does Staley need to actually hire a DC so he can ‘manage’ all phases of team and game?
I’d consider asking Ron, if he gets canned from the Redskins, if’n he’d be interested.
You don’t have to be a jockey to know it’s best to stay on a winning horse.
If Johnson is indeed interested in San Diego, one reason may well be that it’s almost as far away from Carolina as you can get and still be in the NFL…
“The Bolts sit 4-7 after three consecutive losses, one of which coming against the Lions.”
The Patriots game was that forgettable. Good call.
I’m trying to turn my mind away from the Patriots tanking, but that game really didn’t help.
“While Johnson is sure to have several suitors during the 2024 hiring cycle, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes his preferred destination would be the Chargers.”
Is Ben Johnson’s preferred destination or La Canfora’s preferred destination?
Aside from that, isn’t La Canfora well known for making stuff up?
If Ben Johnson doesn’t start adding more passes to get 1st down yardage in the air, the Chargers or any other team can have him. 3rd and long and a pass 1-2 yards past the line of scrimmage is not a long term answer, teams figure you out.