Ben Johnson OUT for Commanders; Bill Belichick Door Opening?

Bill Belichick could emerge in the Washington Commanders coaching search with Ben Johnson out of the running.

The Washington Commanders' favorite for their vacant coaching job, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, has dropped out of the running after informing teams that he wishes to stay in Motown.

The Commanders still have a few coaches left in their search, but perhaps Johnson's departure could open the door for legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick was linked to the Atlanta Falcons opening, but they opted to hire Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris last week.

Former NFL star Howie Long is suggesting a "surprise team" as the future employer of Belichick's. And his suggestion reveals either that a) Howie knows something that nobody else in the world knows, or b) Howie has no idea what he's talking about.

"I think the quarterback is a key component … I think you gotta get the No. 1 or No. 2 or No. 3 spot (in the NFL Draft)," Long told Fox News Digital. "If I were Bill, if I thought Washington could get a quarterback, I might go to Washington."

That, on its surface, is not a bad idea. And the Commanders do indeed have the No. 2 overall pick by virtue of having finished 4-13. So yes, Belichick has reason to be interested in taking over for the fired Ron Rivera, especially if Washington owner Josh Harris was willing to cede his entire power structure over to the coach who ran everything in New England before, in the last four years, he ran everything into the ground in the post-Tom Brady era.

The problem with the idea: Bill might like it. And Howie might like it. But as we've reported repeatedly, there is zero indication that Harris wants to go that direction. Indeed, we are more than a week into job interviews and Belichick isn't on the list.

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Howie offers up one other attempt at reasoning here, saying that Belichick has ties to the D.C.-Maryland area, as his dad coached at Navy.

"Bill is an Annapolis guy, his dad coached there, he’s an East Coast guy, he likes the water, has a boat with eight rings on it," Long said.

And that's where the logic falls apart. Commanders fans might like the idea of Belichick in D.C. But no, you would not endorse the idea because Belichick attended Annapolis High School in Maryland.

So Howie Long's got one thing right: Belichick being hired by Washington would indeed be a "surprise", but with Johnson out of the running, the shock factor simmers down slightly.