For the past two seasons, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been looked upon as not only one of the best coordinators in football, but also the hottest head coach candidate.
Some were surprised he returned to Detroit this past offseason when he seemingly had head coach opportunities elsewhere.
Right or wrong, Johnson seems like a man who knows his worth.
According to a report by CBS Sports NFL report Josina Anderson, Johnson’s asking price to take on a head coaching role with team is $15 million per year.
“I’m told personnel around the league are discussing their awareness that some Owners have been told Lions OC Ben Johnson’s asking price is at least or around $15M/year for a head coach job, per source,” Anderson reported.
𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧: #Lions OC Ben Johnson is looking for at least $15 million per year for teams looking to hire him as their head coach next season.
That would put him in the same category as:
Pete Caroll
Bill Belichick
Sean McVay
Sean Payton
Kyle Shanahan🤯
(h/t… pic.twitter.com/kNxYdoejnJ
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 21, 2023
For a coach without prior head coaching experience, $15 million per year is certainly considered a substantial demand.
If the report is true, there’s no denying it’s a bold, borderline arrogant, demand by Johnson.
Maybe gotta rethink the whole coaching thing
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) December 21, 2023
The upcoming head coach hiring cycle will be one of the more interesting ones in recent memory.
Besides Johnson, other potential coaches on the move include Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh.
With Johnson, there’s a reason why he’s one of the hottest candidates. He’s credited with growing and developing the Lions into one of the best offenses in the league the past few years.
Under his guidance, Detroit has averaged an impressive 27.3 points and 407.1 yards per game this season.
Johnson’s ability to extract the best from key players such as Jared Goff, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jahmyr Gibbs has not gone unnoticed.
His strategic approach and knack for maximizing the potential of his offense have propelled him into the spotlight as a highly sought-after coaching prospect.
Translation…..I like what we're doing here, if I'm leaving this team, you dropping a big bag of money in front of me.
— Eric Wilson (@Royal_Coach_17) December 21, 2023
Despite his lack of head coaching experience, CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones has reported that Johnson is expected to field multiple offers, indicating that some teams are willing to meet his substantial financial demands.
Of course, there’s probably some wiggle room there.
However, Lions fans are hoping that he purposely leaked the high number because deep-down, he prefers to stay in Detroit … Perhaps that’s wishful thinking.
Ben Johnson throwing out astronomical money cause he actually wants to stay in Detroit. Love to see it pic.twitter.com/ORoIMiw8jQ
— Nick Leach (@NickLeachShow) December 21, 2023
What are your thoughts on Johnson?
Do you think he’s worth $15 million per year? … Is he out-of-line to demand that much?
Assuming he ultimately does get a head coach job, do you think he’ll live up to the hype???