1:38pm: Johnson will take the Jaguars’ meeting, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports . Also confirming Johnson will follow through with Bears and Patriots meetings, Russini adds Johnson’s Jags summit will occur during the Lions’ bye week. Johnson has since received a Raiders interview request , but no word has emerged he will take that interview. The Saints and Jets have not requested interviews.
9:05am: The Jaguars have sent out an interview request for Lions OC Ben Johnson. It is not yet known if the three-year Detroit play-caller will take the meeting; as of now, he has been tied to the Bears and Patriots’ HC openings . But the Jags do intend to make an aggressive play here.
Despite firing an offense-oriented HC (Doug Pederson) on Black Monday, Jacksonville is believed to be “all in” on Johnson, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes
. Johnson has been notoriously selective, and that should be expected to continue. After all, the Lions’ 15-2 season will keep the 38-year-old OC in demand despite his having jumped off the 2023 and ’24 HC carousels early.
Joe Brady, Liam Coen, Kellen Moore and Todd Monken join Johnson among offense-oriented candidates on the Jags’ radar . Although no interview request has come out, Pauline adds Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury is a name to monitor here. The former Cardinals HC said he is interested in returning to a top job, even though his first such chance ended badly. Jayden Daniels ‘ presence would stand to allow Kingsbury to be choosey as well.
No Kingsbury interviews are on any team’s docket, and no team has requested one yet. That adds some mystery here, though the Bears — after meeting with Caleb Williams ‘ 2023 QBs coach at USC for their OC position last year — are expected to huddle up with him once again at some point. Kingsbury elevating Trevor Lawrence would be the Jags’ hope here, as that will be perhaps the franchise’s chief aim after a 4-13 season.
One matter that could stand in the way of the Jags adding a hotshot offense-based candidate, Trent Baalke‘s status continues to be a talking point around the league. A Tuesday report indicated certain candidates would steer clear of the Jacksonville job because Baalke was retained, but Pauline indicates the fifth-year Jags GM might not be long for the position. Some around the NFL view Baalke’s retention as a way for Shad Khan to receive assistance in hiring the next HC and then see the embattled GM kick himself to another role within the organization.
GMs have transitioned to other jobs within buildings before, as Rich McKay and John Elway‘s transitions in the not-so-distant past remind. Baalke, 60, has also shown an ability to stick around when many expected an ouster. Baalke has been GM (of the 49ers and Jaguars) during the tenures of five HCs. That number reaching six should not be ruled out, but a scenario in which Baalke changes jobs while another GM is hired appears on the radar, at least.
That would stand to help the Jags with a Johnson pursuit, as a candidate with options certainly may express reservations about being tied to an in-house GM. For now, that would remain the case. But a Jags aggressive pursuit of the Lions’ OC probably includes flexibility in the GM role.