Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was a hot commodity in coaching circles this offseason.
He got numerous interviews for head coaching positions but decided to turn them all down and stay with the Lions. He was recently asked why he came to that decision and confirmed that he wanted to stay in a good situation.
“The story of my career has been living in that Arctic for a lot of it. The second time I’ve been to the playoffs, the first time I’d experienced winning games in the playoffs. I think when it boils down to it, I wanted the sunshine a little bit longer. I like what we’ve built here,” Johnson said .
“I want the sunshine a little longer.”
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson decided to stay in Detroit. He is speaking for the first time about why — and how Dan Campbell’s 2021 speech hit him hard after the NFC Championship. pic.twitter.com/LPX7Gc9H2I
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) May 30, 2024
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Johnson was the architect behind the Lions’ offense this past season. It was one of the best units in the league and it got them to the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Johnson will be looking for more in 2024 since the Lions have Super Bowl aspirations. However, teams will undoubtedly come calling for his services again once the season ends, especially if the Lions’ offense is even better than last season.
The Lions will open the 2024 season against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 8.