Ben Johnson Wants $15 Million Per Season To Be A Head Coach
As a rising star in the coaching industry, current Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is a man in demand and he knows it.
At 10-4, the Lions are closing in on an NFC North crown (they have a smart GM!) and their high-powered offense is a large reason why. They are third in the NFL in total touchdowns and second in total rushing yards. I could go on for a while with stats, but Johnson is a catalyst for the sudden meteoric rise.
With that in mind, he’s looking for a meteoric rise in salary from a potential new team. Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported Thursday that the 37-year-old wants at least $15 million per season to be a head coach for another team.
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. pic.twitter.com/uhX3eqsNQR
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) December 21, 2023
The Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers sniffed around last year, but there will be a ton of teams presumably asking for him this offseason and beyond. Yes, it’s a lot of money, but in a league like this, someone will definitely pay up.
Not only does counting stats help, but so does winning. Yes, there have been some hiccups and bumps in the road. But that’s the NFL. If you look up team stats right now, the Lions are top-five in just about every single offensive category.
Magic Touch:
A big reason for that is Johnson’s player development skills. Look no further than Jared Goff. In Los Angeles, he was an afterthought. The Rams attached a boatload of draft picks to him for what many considered an “upgrade” in Matthew Stafford. Obviously, they won a Super Bowl out of it so they would redo that deal every single time.
But, in 2023, who would you rather have? Goff is younger and at the time of writing, has put up better stats this season. With a 26-10 TD:INT ratio, a 67.1 percent pass completion percentage and over 3700 passing yards, the former No. 1 pick is well on his way to his second straight Pro Bowl appearance in the Motor City. He may not be the long-term savior, but he is far from the problem right now.
Let’s look at some other breakthroughs. Amon-Ra St. Brown is 24-years-old and is one of the best wide receivers in the league. In three fewer games and 12 fewer receptions, he’s already broken his 2022 totals for yards and touchdowns. He’s also created a two-headed rushing monster in David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs; 2023 Second-round pick Sam LaPorta has jumped in and has not missed a beat in Johnson’s system.
You can look up and down this roster and see the fingerprints of Johnson everywhere. While head coach Dan Campbell of course deserves credit, his defensive reputation definitely precedes him.
Ben Johnson has a very bright future in the NFL. He wants to be paid accordingly and there is a lot of evidence as to why that is the case.
