Ben Johnson landing spots: Bears, Cowboys coaching fits if OC leaves Lions

Ben Johnson has been one of the most sought after coaching candidates in the league over the last two offseasons, and it's easy to understand why.

Johnson has led the Detroit Lions to great offensive success in each of his two seasons as the team's offensive coordinator. Detroit sports one of the best running attacks in the NFL, headlined by David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, but Johnson's work turning Jared Goff into one of the league's most accurate quarterbacks has earned equal acclaim.

At just 38 years old, Johnson has the makings of the next offensive wunderkind to take the NFL's coaching ranks by storm.

He also finds himself in a rare position of power among coaching candidates. He can be selective in assessing which job to take with most teams around the NFL figuring to have an interest in him, as ESPN's Adam Schefter detailed in a Wednesday, Nov. 7 appearance on "Get Up".

"I think if Ben Johnson is interviewing with anybody this year, he's interviewing with the intent that he's going to take that job," Schefter said.

With that in mind, which teams could be of interest to Johnson? A few potential openings come to mind as strong landing spots if he decides to leave the Lions in 2025.

NFL WEEK 10 PICKS: Steelers or Commanders in first-place battle?

Chicago Bears

If the Bears part with Matt Eberflus following the 2024 season, Chicago might end up being the best fit for Johnson. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer said in a recent radio interview that Johnson was "tied to the Chicago job" last offseason before the Bears decided to keep Eberflus around.

"There were some people who thought that was the one he wanted," Breer said.

That Johnson would have an interest in the Bears is sensible. Chicago has a well-built defense and spent the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Caleb Williams, who was viewed as a top-tier quarterback prospect. Johnson could work to develop Williams into a pro-style passer while figuring out the best way to utilize Chicago's plethora of offensive weapons, which includes D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet and D'Andre Swift.

Either way, Chicago looks ready to win which could allow Johnson to enjoy immediate success while staying in the NFC North.

Dallas Cowboys

Mike McCarthy led the Cowboys to three consecutive 12-5 seasons but entered the 2024 season on thin ice with Jerry Jones. Barring a major improvement, the loyal owner might be willing to make a coaching change and try to spark his team, which hasn't won a Super Bowl since 1996.

The Cowboys have talent on their roster, and their passing game is looking good with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb on long-term deals. Those two could be of interest to Johnson, though he would certainly want to add talent to the team's solid but unspectacular offensive line and desolate running back room.

While Dallas' defense has taken a step back in 2024 under Mike Zimmer's leadership, Johnson could be sold on the unit improving with a change. After all, the Cowboys routinely sported one of the league's best defenses under Dan Quinn.

New York Giants

If Johnson wants to go to New York, he could end up with his pick of the Giants or the New York Jets. Schefter referenced in his reporting that Johnson may want to avoid dysfunction where possible, so that could turn him off to a Jets organization that has been more circus than stable franchise since long before the Aaron Rodgers era.

The Giants have had a lot of coaching turnover in recent seasons as well, but Johnson could take comfort in the fact that owner John Mara is hunting for coaching stability. Johnson may also be interested in working with Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson, two strong receivers he could use as the focal points of his offense.

The perk about joining the Giants is that Johnson would also be able to pick his next starting quarterback, in all likelihood. New York is expected to replace Daniel Jones during the 2025 offseason, so if Johnson really likes one of the quarterbacks available in the 2025 NFL draft, he could sell the Giants on the vision of drafting him as the team's next starter.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Todd Bowles has led the Buccaneers to back-to-back playoff appearances, so his seat is certainly far from scorching. That said, Tampa Bay's defense enters Week 10 ranked bottom-five in both yards and points allowed, so that might make general manager Jason Licht think about making a change.

If so, the Buccaneers could look to promote offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who has helped Baker Mayfield throw a league-leading 23 touchdowns through nine weeks, as their new head coach. If not, it would make sense to hire an offensive-minded coach who can continue to get the most out of Mayfield, much like Coen and Dave Canales have done over the last couple of seasons.

The Buccaneers are three-deep with cost-controlled running backs, have a decent offensive line and also have a plethora of weapons in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Cade Otton. Johnson could quickly turn Tampa Bay's offense into one similar to Detroit's while bringing aboard another assistant to upgrade the team's leaky defense.

As such, this landing spot can't be ruled out, even if Bowles is no sure thing to be canned.

Cincinnati Bengals

Could the Bengals part ways with Zac Taylor after the 2024 NFL season? That doesn't seem likely, but it's at least possible.

The Bengals missed the playoffs in 2023 and have notoriously gotten off to slow starts under Taylor. This year, they went 1-4 in their first five games, so if Mike Brown grows tired of that trend and believes a change is needed to keep Cincinnati's Super Bowl window open, that could prompt him to make a change and target another young, offensive mind like Johnson.

It's fun to imagine what Johnson would be able to do with the Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase tandem. Cincinnati's running game is also making strides behind Chase Brown, so Johnson would be able to keep the Bengals playing at a high level and perhaps improve on Taylor's propensity for slow starts.

Still, this fit seems like the longest shot among Johnson's top options. But if the Bengals falter the down the stretch, it can't be ruled out as a possibility.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ben Johnson landing spots: Could Lions OC coach Bears in 2025?