Bears coach Ben Johnson nearly became the Commanders' head coach before the franchise was forced to pivot to Dan Quinn.
Ben Johnson-Commanders coaching saga: Revisiting how Bears coach spurned Washington before Dan Quinn hire originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Bears coach Ben Johnson is looking to lead a revival of Chicago Bears football, but if the Washington Commanders had their way, he would be guiding a Jayden Daniels-led offense in the NFC East.
The Commanders aggressively pursued Johnson when he was a popular head coaching candidate after the 2023 season, but the then-Detroit Lions offensive coordinator ultimately decided to return to Dan Campbell's staff and wait another year.
It isn't especially common for a coordinator to pass on a head coaching opportunity, given how rare those opportunities are, but Johnson reportedly had particular reasons to pass on the Commanders.
Here's a look at why Johnson didn't agree to become the next head coach in Washington.
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How Commanders almost hired Ben Johnson
The Commanders were among teams that pursued Johnson after the 2023 season, which ended with Ron Rivera's firing, and but the two sides reportedly didn't find each other to be the right fit.
Johnson viewed Commanders ownership as "basketball guys" who were too confident in their football knowledge, ESPN's Jenna Laine reported in 2024, adding that Johnson was "turned off" by the idea of coaching under the group led by Josh Harris.
Harris also owns the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils. The Commanders' ownership group includes NBA legend Magic Johnson.
Laine reported that Johnson "didn't interview well" with the Commanders. Whether that was simply damage control by Washington, which might not have liked the optics of an outright rejection, or an accurate description of what happened, the two sides clearly were not the right match and went in different directions.
Johnson ruffled feathers with his timing, as he cancelled his second interview with the Commanders while the franchise's key decision-makers were on their way to Detroit to meet him, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported, adding that he might not have been likely to get the job at all because of a poor first interview.
The truth about the situation might never be fully known, but Johnson ultimately decided to stay with the Lions as their offensive coordinator for one more season.
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Why did Ben Johnson return to Lions?
Johnson told MLive in 2024 that he decided to stay on as Detroit's offensive coordinator on the team's flight back home after losing the NFC championship game.
"I think when it boils down to it, I wanted the sunshine a little bit longer," Johnson said, referring to an analogy Dan Campbell gave about the Lions just being on the horizon of championship-level success. "That's really what it comes down to for me. I like the sunshine, I like what we've built here, starting with ownership, the head coach, the GM, on down. We have a great group of guys in the locker room, and I want to reap the rewards with them a little bit longer."
Johnson also admitted that he didn't find the right fit to be a head coach, explaining that "the stars need to align" to become the exception to the rule and avoid being fired in three years.
"I'm not going to do it just to do it," Johnson said.
While the Commanders found instant success under Quinn with Daniels under center, it might have been fair for any candidate to have questions about the franchise when Johnson was looking at head coaching opportunities in 2024. Washington was coming off a disastrous season, did not have a deal for a new stadium and had a new ownership group that had been on the job for less than a year.
Now, the Commanders' outlook looks much brighter after Daniels' emergence, a brand new stadium deal and strong early results under Harris. Johnson hopes the stars are aligned for him to succeed in Chicago, but it's safe to say the stars have aligned quite well for Quinn in Washington.
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Why did Ben Johnson leave Lions?
Johnson didn't get to achieve his goal of winning a Super Bowl in Detroit, helping the Lions win 15 games in 2024 before falling short in the divisional round, but he decided after the season that the right opportunity was available in Chicago.
"A lot of the structure was already in place," Johnson told the "Mully & Haugh Show" during his first training camp with the Bears. "From great ownership to Kevin Warren as president, to Ryan [Poles], there's a lot of things that I might've struggled with if I was with a first-time GM and we're both finding our way."
Of course, the chance to coach a talented and moldable Caleb Williams was undoubtedly part of Johnson's calculus. Williams showed flashes of potential in his rookie season, and the hope was Johnson's offensive acumen would mesh well with the raw talent that made the former Heisman Trophy winner the No. 1 overall pick.
Success can be fleeting in the NFL, so Johnson found the right fit and took advantage of his stock before anything could damage it.
Category: Football
