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Detroit Lions News & Rumors

Lions OC Ben Johnson ‘Deeply Considering’ Bears’ HC Position?

January 20th, 2025 at 2:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ben Johnson is free to meet in person with interested teams, something he could do in multiple cases over the coming days. The in-demand Lions offensive coordinator is known to be a key target of the Raiders, Jaguars and Bears.

Vegas is expected to produce a major offer — something which the team does not need to wait for now that the Lions’ season is over — but Jacksonville and Chicago are of course still in the mix until Johnson makes a final call. Reports from last week indicated the 38-year-old is interested in Jacksonville’s opening. The same apparently remains true for Chicago.

Johnson is believed to be “deeply considering” the Bears’ head coaching position, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports. He was among the first candidates to conduct an an initial (virtual) interview with Chicago’s search committee, although that was of course also the case with several other interested teams. Still, it comes as no surprise the Bears’ wide-ranging search has not concluded with Johnson still on the market.

On Monday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell admitted he expects both Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to find one of the six current head coaching vacancies around the league. Johnson will move to schedule second interviews with teams, though The Athletic’s Dianna Russini cautions he is not a lock to meet with all three teams. Those he does huddle up with in person can safely assume the high-profile HC candidate remains interested in an elusive commitment.

The Bears have been in pursuit of Johnson since the fall, and a December report suggested the three-year Lions OC was “intrigued” by this job. Johnson, 38, would be a strong choice to mentor Caleb Williams. Conversely, Williams — who is tied to a rookie contract through at least 2026, creating roster-building opportunities — should be a draw for candidates. The 2024 top pick’s presence separates this job from the Jaguars and Raiders’ openings. Trevor Lawrence is now on a $55MM-per-year deal without having established himself as a surefire franchise-level passer, while the Raiders remain in search of an option at the game’s premier position — and their two late-season wins dropped them to sixth in the draft order.

Johnson remains tied to both his AFC suitors. He may well be the top choice for each of these three HC-needy franchises. With the Commanders knocking off the Lions in the divisional round, this will be an interesting week — from a long-term perspective — for the Bears, Jags and Raiders. The Bears made a last-ditch sales pitch to Mike Vrabel before he committed to the Patriots. Their last chance with Johnson appears to be coming soon.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post

Lions HC Dan Campbell Expects Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn To Depart

January 20th, 2025 at 1:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn reside as two of the top coaching candidates still available. Six head coaching vacancies remain around the league, but that figure could drop very soon.

When speaking to the media on Monday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell admitted there is a strong possibility of both Johnson and Glenn departing during this year’s hiring cycle. Such a scenario would leave Detroit in need of a new offensive and defensive coordinator for 2025, while other staffers could leave as well by following Johnson and Glenn to their new destinations. Nothing is imminent on that front, but Campbell knows he will likely be shorthanded in the near future.

“I would expect to lose both, but I haven’t been told anything,” Campbell said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “I just, I’ve got a feeling, but I am prepared to lose both.”

Johnson has been strongly linked to the Raiders, although the Jaguars and Bears remain in play as well. Glenn’s presumed top suitors have been the Jets and Saints throughout the interview process, and to no surprise both teams have lined up an in-person meeting with him. With the hiring cycle likely to heat up over the coming days, both staffers (whom Campbell has publicly endorsed as logical head coaching targets for outside teams) will be worth watching closely.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter as well as NFL Network’s Peter Schrager note Johnson and Glenn could each have a head coaching gig lined up by the middle of this week. That would fall in line with current expectations since they are both free to speak with teams at any time over the coming days. Coaches still involved in the playoffs, by contrast, cannot meet with suitors this week.

Interestingly, Campbell added that in the event Johnson departs, quarterback Jared Goff will have input in the search for a new OC. The former Rams No. 1 pick has enjoyed plenty of production with Johnson in Detroit, something highlighted by the $53MM-per-year extension he is currently attached to. Campbell noted duplicating the setup in place with Johnson will be a key goal in the (hypothetical) search for his replacement.

“This thing is set up for Goff to have success with our playmakers,” Campbell said. “[Amon-Ra] St. Brown, our running backs, the O-line, the whole deal. Jamo [Jameson Williams]. And so I want to keep that in place. I want to keep our terminology in place, and I want to make sure that Goff is comfortable, cause he’s playing at a high level.”

To no surprise, Campbell left the door open to both internal promotions and external hires when speaking about potentially needing to fill the void left by his coordinators. It remains to be seen if either path will be necessary, but no one would be surprised at this point if a number new faces were on the sideline for the Lions next year.

Aaron Glenn Lines Up Second Interview With Jets, Saints

January 20th, 2025 at 12:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions’ upset loss on Saturday has made Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn available for head coaching hires earlier than expected. In the latter’s case, at least, things are developing quickly with respect to HC opportunities.

Detroit’s defensive coordinator has a second interview lined up with the Jets, as first reported by Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. This will be an in-person meeting, something permitted for all candidates whose seasons have come to an end. Glenn obviously falls into that category, and it comes as no surprise New York has quickly arranged a follow-up to his first interview.

The 52-year-old was among the first staffers to speak with the Jets as part of their wide-ranging coaching search. That process is ongoing, but this marks the first known candidate to arrange a second interview with the team. Glenn spent the first eight seasons of his playing career with the Jets, earning two of his three Pro Bowls during that stretch. A reunion has been considered a strong possibility given his connections to the franchise and the degree to which he is sought after as a 2025 HC candidate.

Rapoport notes the Saints are expected to speak again with Glenn. Indeed, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports Glenn will meet with New York tomorrow and New Orleans on Wednesday. Both of those teams were named as the leading contenders to hire Glenn last week, and obviously that remains the case at this point. Prior to taking on his current Lions DC position, he spent five years as the Saints’ defensive backs coach.

As a result, Glenn will be a familiar face in the event he takes either head coaching position. The Jets’ list of finalists will no doubt grow over the coming days, however, and the Saints have already arranged a pair of follow-ups of their own. Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver are set to conduct a second interview with New Orleans this week. Glenn will join them in that respect, and once his upcoming meetings have taken place it will be interesting to see how things unfold.

Glenn and Johnson represent two major dominoes in the overall coaching landscape. Both are serious contenders to be hired in this year’s cycle, and further movement (aside from the Patriots’ decision to being in Mike Vrabel, of course) may have to wait until their futures are settled. In Glenn’s case, taking charge in New York or New Orleans remains a distinct possibility.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 19th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Two weekends of playoff football have come and gone, providing us with 10 more draft slots cemented into position as NFL teams continue to be eliminated from the playoffs. The top 18 picks were already divvied up at the conclusion of the regular season to the teams who failed to make the playoffs, while picks 19-28 have been determined over the past two weeks.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order has been determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. The playoff squads are being slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular-season record.

The league’s Super Wild Card weekend resulted in the elimination of Chargers, Steelers, Broncos, Packers, Buccaneers, and Vikings after their respective losses. Tampa Bay benefitted from the three-way tie in record with Denver and Pittsburgh, just as the Chargers did over the Packers.

The divisional round of the playoffs resulted in the elimination of the Texans, Rams, Ravens, and Lions. This time, Houston held the tiebreaker over Los Angeles, gifting it higher draft priority.

We are still at a place that, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

Here is how the draft order looks following two weeks of playoff football:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  25. Houston Texans (10-7)
  26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Detroit Lions (15-2)
  29. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  30. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  31. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)

NFL Staff Rumors: Allen, Sanders, Williams, Panthers, Saints

January 19th, 2025 at 8:21pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich was hired to rejoin his old coworker, Raheem Morris, in Atlanta as defensive coordinator. This threw a wrench in some other plans in coaching searches around the league. Specifically, two teams that viewed him as a defensive coordinator candidate will have to look elsewhere to fill the position.

After Ulbrich filled in for a fired Robert Saleh in New York, he was likewise being viewed as a backup candidate for defensive coordinator behind Saleh in San Francisco. The 49ers are hoping to hire Saleh back to his old job as their defensive play-caller. Saleh is still interviewing for some open head coaching positions, though, and in case he becomes unavailable, Ulbrich was seemingly the second option.

The second team watching Ulbrich was whatever team ends up hiring former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Johnson had Ulbrich tabbed as the potential defensive coordinator on his first staff as an NFL head coach. Rapoport claims former Saints head coach Dennis Allen is the new name to look out for to join Johnson’s first staff.

Here are a few other rumors in staff conversations around the NFL:

  • As more and more hurdles continue to present themselves in the Cowboys‘ pursuit of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, it’s beginning to seem like him becoming their next head coach is an unlikely scenario. According to another Rapoport report, the NFL Network reporter claimed he “would be surprised — probably very surprised — if (a formal interview) did, in fact, get scheduled.”
  • New Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel hasn’t spoken much of how much of the existing staff in New England will be salvaged, but the understanding seems to be that, like in most new head coaching situations, Vrabel will likely be replacing both coordinators. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, one name to watch for defensive coordinator is Lions defensive line coach and run-game coordinator Terrell Williams. Williams was one of Vrabel’s most-trusted assistants during his time as head coach in Tennessee, where Williams served as assistant head coach in addition to his duties as defensive line coach. Especially with the likely turnover expected on the defensive staff in Detroit, it makes perfect sense that Williams would explore the opportunity to take his first coordinator position.
  • The Panthers are reportedly moving on from passing game coordinator Nate Carroll, son of former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Joe Person of The Athletic confirmed the report, adding that the team does not expect Carroll back in any capacity.
  • Switching for moment from coaching staffs to the front office, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis addressed the consistency of staff in the team’s personnel department. Amidst questions concerning job security, Loomis claimed that “he loves (vice president/assistant general manager — college personnel) Jeff Ireland and (director of pro personnel) Michael Parenton in their” current roles, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. While he does expect changes and tweaks in their processes and procedures, Irelend and Parenton’s jobs appear secure.

Lions CB Amik Robertson Suffers Broken Arm

January 19th, 2025 at 7:51am CST by Adam La Rose

JANUARY 19: After the Lions’ upset loss, HC Dan Campbell announced that Robertson suffered a broken arm and would undergo surgery (via Tim Twentyman of the team’s official website). Robertson’s injury was the last in a laundry list of maladies afflicting Detroit’s defense this season, which ultimately proved too much to overcome.

As relayed by Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Robertson’s surgery went well, and he is expected to be ready for offseason workouts.

JANUARY 18: The Lions entered Saturday’s game with injury concerns at the cornerback spot. The team’s secondary has now suffered another notable loss.

Amik Robertson exited Detroit’s ongoing divisional round game against Washington early in the contest. He has quickly been ruled out as the result of an elbow injury, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes he has been taken to hospital for further evaluation. The Lions will be shorthanded to an even further extent moving forward as a result.

Carlton Davis is out for tonight and is not expected to return to the lineup even if Detroit makes it to the Super Bowl. His absence has been sorely felt since he suffered a broken jaw in Week 15, and Robertson was leaned on heavily down the stretch as Detroit locked up the No. 1 seed. Especially with second-round rookie Ennis Rakestraw Jr. inactive despite having been activated from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game (and with Emmanuel Moseley on the NFI list), cornerback will be a spot to watch closely for the Lions.

Terrion Arnold suffered a foot contusion in Week 18, but Detroit’s win in that game gave the team a first-round bye. Having benefitted from the extra rest time, the Lions’ top pick in April’s draft is healthy and taking part in Saturday’s contest. He along with Kindle Vildor will be counted on the rest of the way while the team awaits updates on Robertson’s status.

The 26-year-old played out his rookie contract with the Raiders ahead of his first trip to free agency. Robertson signed a two-year, $9.25MM pact to head to Detroit, and he provided his new team with roughly the same contributions in terms of snap share as his old one this year. The Louisiana Tech product posted 50 tackles and eight pass deflections across 17 games in his debut Lions campaign. Whether or not he will be an option to play next weekend (if applicable) will depend his prognosis.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/18/25

January 18th, 2025 at 5:08pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor moves, including stand gameday practices squad elevations for the weekend’s remaining divisional playoff games:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles

Washington Commanders

Aaron Glenn A HC Candidate In Dallas?

January 18th, 2025 at 4:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Compared to the other open head coaching positions, we have heard relatively little about the possibilities in Dallas. So far, the names connected to the Cowboys are few and far between as the team has interviewed just two candidates and only has one other interview on the schedule. That makes it noteworthy to see Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reporting Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as “a name to watch closely” in connection to the job.

Like his coworker on the offensive side of the ball in Detroit, Glenn’s name has been an extremely popular one in multiple searches for a new head coach around the league. He has been mentioned as a candidate for every other open position, already having interviewed with the Jets (1/9), Raiders (1/10), Saints (1/10), Bears (1/11), and Jaguars (1/11) and declining an interview with the Patriots. While New York has reportedly been extremely interested in adding the 52-year-old to lead their staff, so far, the Saints have been heavily linked as a favorite to land Glenn.

Dallas, on the other hand, has been fairly inactive in their search after they got a late start on the process. They’ve interviewed their former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator and current Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore (1/17) and former Jets head coach Robert Saleh (1/18), and they have an interview scheduled with former Vikings head coach and current Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier for Monday. They’ve shown interest in two collegiate head coaches, but North Carolina’s Bill Belichick remains committed to the Tar Heels, and the interest in Colorado’s Deion Sanders has not resulted in anything substantial as of yet.

A Houston native, Glenn played for four of the teams with open jobs (Jets, Cowboys, Jaguars, and Saints) as a cornerback in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The proximity of Dallas and New Orleans to his hometown could be factors in their relevance during his job search, as well. He also spent time on the coaching staff in New Orleans for five seasons as defensive backs coach before landing the coordinator job in Detroit.

Glenn is perhaps the most sought-after coach in this coaching cycle, as evidenced by his connection to every open job so far. The Cowboys will need to make up some ground on a number of teams that have over a week’s head start on courting Glenn in order to contend for his services. Team owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones, though, reportedly holds Glenn in “especially high regard,” so their pursuit may be starting soon.

NFL Coaching Rumors: Johnson, Orlovsky, Sanders

January 18th, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Ely Allen

There has been a bit of criticism in recent days over the interview process for head coaching candidates on playoff teams as coordinators for the Lions, Bills, Chiefs, Eagles, and Ravens have all been participating in interviews during their free time throughout the week. Many of the teams looking to fill head coaching jobs will be watching the Lions’ game against the Commanders tonight, as the results could be a big catalyst for things to come.

According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, if Detroit were to fall to the Commanders tonight, a chain reaction could result for coaching jobs as a mad dash would be incoming to complete in-person interviews with both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. If the Lions continue to win, though, it could continue to stall the hiring process until both coaches become available for in-person interviews.

In anticipation for this expected interest, Johnson has hired a new agent, Rick Smith of Priority Sports, per Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. Smith will likely be apprised of what Johnson’s preferences are and will be fielding phones calls for second interviews as soon as he becomes available.

Johnson has interviewed for the Bears’, Jaguars’, and Raiders’ open positions, as well as the Patriots’ job that was filled by Mike Vrabel. He has not been mentioned as a candidate in New Orleans or New York, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter doesn’t believe he’s in play for the Cowboys’ job.

Here are some other coaching rumors from around the league:

  • One media name has been floating around coaching rumors as former NFL quarterback and ESPN personality Dan Orlovsky has expressed interest in entering the coaching world. Orlovsky claimed on the Pat McAfee Show that he’s “had conversations with places about stuff in the coaching world.” While he’s very happy with his place on television, ESPN jobs are pretty unstable, as we’ve seen in recent years, and Orlovsky admits that if the right situation presented itself, he would be open to exploring it. Later in the week on the show, Schefter confirmed that Orlovsky has been communicating with teams in search of any positions that may fit the bill and interest him. Orlovsky’s interest would be more in the realm of a quarterbacks coach or perhaps even an offensive coordinator gig, but nothing substantial seems to be forming as of yet.
  • There’s been a lot of momentum lately on Colorado head coach Deion Sanders as a candidate for the Cowboys‘ open position. One hurdle mentioned has been a roughly $10MM buyout that could certainly be a deterrent in landing his services. NFL Insider Josina Anderson recently pointed out another hurdle in the process. In order to formally interview Sanders, the Cowboys would need to obtain approval from the school’s athletic director, Rick George, and inform the league office.

Ben Johnson Remains Interested In Jaguars’ Head Coaching Vacancy

January 17th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

11:03pm: ESPN’s Adam Schefter as well as Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz both echo the sentiment that Jacksonville remains under consideration in Johnson’s situation. They also note the Bears could be a team to watch on this front, something which will of course remain the case until Chicago makes a hire.

10:40am: In recent days, the Raiders have emerged as the presumed destination for Ben Johnson with respect to his high-profile head coaching candidacy. The Lions’ offensive coordinator still has other suitors, of course, and the Jaguars are among them.

Prior to the news strongly tying Johnson to Vegas, Jacksonville was reported to be “all in” on hiring him. Neither the Raiders nor the Jags have made a hire yet, and Johnson will of course not be available to officially take the position with either franchise until the Lions are eliminated from the playoffs. In-person interviews with coaches whose team’s seasons have ended can take place once the divisional round ends; Johnson could participate in such a meeting with interested teams during the bye week leading up to the Super Bowl should the Lions make it to the title game.

As the watch for further developments on the Raiders front continues, Bovada’s Josina Anderson reports Johnson remains interested in “exploring” the Jaguars’ vacancy. She adds the Jags continue to ask about how a potential Johnson-led staff would look, an indication that feeling is still mutual. Jacksonville moved on from an offense-oriented head coach (Doug Pederson) at the end of the season, but doubling down on that side of the ball would of course be a move aimed at – among other things – maximizing quarterback Trevor Lawrence‘s potential.

Anderson adds that Lions pass game coordinator Tanner Engstrand would likely be a name to watch regarding potential offensive coordinator hires in the event Johnson were to take the Jaguars’ gig. Hiring an experienced defensive coordinator would be expected in that event, per Anderson, something which would come as no surprise given the team’s struggles on that side of the ball in 2024. Jacksonville owner Shad Khan and general manager Trent Baalke (who, to the surprise of many, was retained but may see another front office staffer added during the hiring cycle) will need to pivot to other candidates if Johnson drops out of the running or lands elsewhere. This connection still persists as the 2025 coaching landscape takes shape, though.

Via PFR’s HC search tracker, here is a look at Jacksonville’s situation:

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