ALLEN PARK, Mich. – When Ben Johnson heard that question…he danced.
The crafty Detroit Lions offensive coordinator has been one of the hottest prospects on the NFL coaching market for the third year in a row, but what will tempt him to take one of the nation’s vacant head coaching jobs? When asked if it was necessary, he didn’t take the bait. league.
“I understand what you’re doing now, but I’m not going to accept it,” Johnson told reporters at a midweek press conference.
Last week, during the Lions’ bye week, the 38-year-old did virtual interviews with the Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars.
This week, he’s apparently busy preparing for Detroit’s regional playoff game Saturday night. He didn’t intend to use the podium to alarm potential employers, as six head coaching jobs remain vacant across the league.
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“I’m going to stay focused on what’s most important here and the Washington commanders that are here right now. That’s our objective. When we come in, head coach (Dan Campbell) ) and he asked me how it was (last weekend). “It went well.” That’s it. Right now, the focus of our players, our coaching staff, everyone in this building is on this game this week. ”
That’s how it should be. But Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, another high-profile candidate on the Lions’ staff, are moving forward with the task of chasing Super Bowl glory while managing their chances of landing the next job in a league He is one of the few top assistant coaches.
Glenn, who interviewed with the Bears, Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets during the bye week, barely appeared to break a sweat during the process. He’s been on the market before, which helped him prepare. He and Johnson know what’s going to happen.
Mr Johnson said: It also changed my mindset a little bit and allowed me to look at the big picture and think about what we’re going to do in the offseason and in the summer, instead of just worrying about the offense and what we’re doing here. I did. The program will look the same as where I am running it. ”
Lions coordinators like Steve Spagnuolo and Matt Nagy of the Kansas City Chiefs benefited from the bye week. This is in line with NFL policy that requires virtual interviews to be completed by the end of last week.
But with eight teams remaining in the playoffs when divisional round games begin on Saturday, several other potential playoff teams are in the hunt even further as they interview and prepare for key games. It seems like it is.
The issue has been controversial in recent years as the NFL has taken steps to slow the process. But it also highlights such a need. Good prospects for promotion usually come from successful teams. The 18 teams that didn’t make it to the playoffs have qualified and are trying to get ahead in the competition.
If you’re one of the candidates who’s spent your entire life trying to land one of the NFL’s rarest jobs, it’s only natural that you want to make the most of yourself in the process. It’s also rude to change jobs so easily. The team is working hard to advance to the playoffs.
Todd Monken and Joe Brady, the two offensive coordinators heading into Sunday’s AFC showdown between the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills, were interviewed as the game neared. So did his Philadelphia Eagles counterpart Kellen Moore, who interviewed virtually with the Dallas Cowboys on Friday.
None of those coaches were granted interviews last week as they prepared for the opening round of the playoffs. Now, as their team progresses, it’s getting tougher.
“It’s unfortunate the way the system is set up, but that’s the reality,” Monken told reporters in Baltimore. “I’m excited to play for the Bills. That’s the focus of my mind.”
Still, it’s fair to wonder if interviews will take away the energy and focus of coaches who should be focused on helping their teams win this weekend, thereby increasing their chances of promotion. Maybe.
As a result, the idea of freezing head coaching hiring until after the Super Bowl is often talked about, but not widely supported. It’s a bit of a stretch to expect a team that ended its season in Week 18 (and in some cases fired a coach midway through the season) to wait weeks before hiring a new coach. Recall that two weeks after Super Bowl 59, the NFL scouting combine began to ignite preparations for the draft.
“I don’t know if there’s an easy way. Or maybe they’re already doing it,” Monken said.
No, there is no easy solution.
Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has an approach that works for him. Kingsbury, who has been asked to interview by at least two teams, is refraining from giving interviews until his manager is eliminated from the playoffs or the season ends with Super Bowl 59. But by not giving interviews, he is perhaps jeopardizing his chances of making the right impression on the game. Team for next job.
Still, after Sunday night’s playoff-opening win at Tampa Bay, it makes more sense considering the coaches have just six days to prepare for a divisional game in Detroit.
If teams want to consider Kingsbury, they will have to wait.
But Kingsbury has leeway in his approach. He still receives a high salary from the Arizona Cardinals, who hired him as a coach in 2019 and fired him after the 2022 season.
Meanwhile, Glenn is making good progress in the process in other ways. He’s on the lookout for the next potential opportunity, but he’s determined to keep distractions to a minimum as he has major challenges in his current job.
“The only thing I got out of all these interviews is, well, I’m going to be myself,” Glenn said. “You either love it or you hate it. If you don’t, it’s okay. As I always tell you, I have a great job here. It’s an opportunity that I think is best for me and my family. If there is, we’ll look into it. We had a really good time watching them during the bye week, but now we’re all solidified and ready to play against Washington. .”
In other words, other competition is taking a backseat.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell on X @JarrettBell.