Ben Johnson will have options next offseason, including potentially back in Carolina

ALLEN PARK -- The Carolina Panthers already went after Ben Johnson last offseason.

Could they do it again in six weeks?

The Panthers are going to be looking for yet another coach after canning Frank Reich on Monday morning, just hours after a 17-10 loss against Tennessee that dropped them to a league-worst 1-10. They’re on track to finish at the bottom of the league for a second straight season, and are guaranteed to finish with a losing record for the sixth straight time since owner Dave Tepper purchased the team in 2018.

Tepper picked Reich, the one-time Lions quarterback, after being rebuffed by Johnson last winter. Johnson was coming off his first season as the offensive coordinator in Detroit, and what a season it was for the young playcaller, leading a Lions offense that was below average for a half-decade to the league’s elite.

The Lions racked up more yards on the ground than in any other season since 1997, threw for more yards than all but four other teams in the league, finished No. 5 in yards and No. 3 in points overall, and set a franchise record for 30-point games.

Johnson’s most notable work has come with quarterback Jared Goff. The former No. 1 pick had fallen on hard times in Los Angeles, and the Rams were so desperate to offload him and that contract that they bundled three draft picks, including two first-rounders, for Matthew Stafford in 2021. But once Johnson took over the passing game midway through that first season, Goff started playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Last year, Goff was one of the best quarterbacks in the league, ranking sixth in yards, fifth in touchdowns and fifth in passer rating. He also didn’t throw a pick on his final 324 passes.

Just like that, Johnson -- hired by Detroit as a little-known offensive quality control coach in 2019 -- had rocketed to the top of wish lists across the league. Just 48 hours after wrapping up his first season as an offensive playcaller, he was on the phone with the Houston Texans. He went on to land interviews with three of the five teams looking for head coaches, including the Carolina Panthers.

Johnson, an Ashville, N.C. native, interviewed remotely with Carolina before agreeing to a second interview in Charlotte, and became the betting favorite to become the Panthers’ new head man.

But he never got on that plane, instead shocking the Panthers by turning down the opportunity.

“Talked to my wife about it, and we just came to a really good decision of, ‘Hey, you know, we’re happy where we are,’” Johnson said. “We love where we are. We love being in Detroit, love the people here, and just decided then to go ahead and put the brakes on it right now. Just wasn’t the time for us.”

Why? Why wasn’t it the time for you guys?

“There is no doubt that these opportunities aren’t guaranteed,” Johnson said. “They don’t come along very often, there are only 32 of the jobs, and I was honored that I had three requests come out. Like I said, did some due diligence on it, but I think some people -- I can just speak on a personal level -- some people, they really want to climb as fast as they can. I know particularly young coaches want to do that. That’s not been the case for me, per se. I want to be around football. I want to win football games. I want to be around good people. And when I finally had a chance to step back and take a deep breath and look at it, that was the most important thing.

“I love Dan Campbell, I’ve known him for a long time. I believe in the direction of this organization. And so that truly was the biggest drawing point for me to come back, was what we have here, what we’re building here, is something I want to be a part of. I’ve been a part of a number of losing seasons in my 11 years in the NFL.”

Johnson came back to win, and now he is. Despite a tough showing on Thanksgiving, the Lions are off to an 8-3 start and hold a two-game lead in the NFC North with just six games to go, pending Minnesota’s result against Chicago on Monday Night Football. And their offense is the biggest reason for their perch.

The Lions join the Miami Dolphins as the only teams with a top-six rushing and passing attack this season, and rank No. 2 in total offense overall. Goff, meanwhile, has continued to cook. He’s coughed up the football six times in the last two games, but is still completing 67.9% of his passes and averaging 279.5 passing yards per game, both of which are up from his Pro Bowl season a year ago. He’s thrown for the fifth-most yards (3,075) and has 18 touchdowns and eight picks overall.

With the way things are going, Johnson figures to once again be one of the hottest head coaching candidates in the league -- and now that he’s winning in Detroit, it could be tough for him to say no to another opportunity, and the immense financial windfall that would come with it. He could have a few options too, including another shot to head back to North Carolina, where he would already have a No. 1 pick at quarterback in Bryce Young, while holding another No. 1 pick in next year’s draft.

Then again, he would also have to report to Dave Tepper, who has proved to be one of the most heavy-handed owners in the league. He’s never enjoyed a winning season since taking over in 2018, and has now fired a second straight coach before his first year was up. That could be viewed as a potential red flag.

The Las Vegas Raiders will also be looking for a new head coach after firing Josh McDaniels this season, while the Commanders (Ron Rivera) and Chargers (Brandon Staley) also have some of the hottest seats in the league.