Could New York Jets Lure Highly-Regarded Offensive Coach to Take Over?

The New York Jets are likely to cast a wide net to hire their next coach, and it will surely take them to this offensive coordinator.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson watches a replay against Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Jets don't look the part of a stable franchise right now.

In the last two months owner Woody Johnson has fired head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas. Reporting from other outlets has shown that Johnson derailed a contract extension for one top defender and nixed a trade for a star wide receiver while also suggesting to the football staff that they bench quarterback Aaron Rodgers after Week 4.

These are just some of the reasons the Jets could have trouble finding a new head coach this offseason. But, there are only 32 of these jobs and sometimes you have to strike when the iron is hot.

There is no offensive coordinator that will be hotter this offseason coaching market than Detroit Lions play-caller Ben Johnson. Every team will be after him, and for good reason.

The Lions are the best team in the NFC and they're playing the best offensive football of any team in the NFL. After reaching the NFC Championship game a year ago, the Lions seemed poised to do something their franchise has never done before — go to the Super Bowl.

Do that, and the world is Johnson’s oyster.

Recently, Sports Illustrated published an exhaustive list of the top coaching candidates for this cycle. Naturally, Johnson was on the list.

The article indicated that part of Johnson's reason for returning to the Lions in 2024 was the so-called “unfinished business” mandate. The Lions came so close to achieving something no team in franchise history had ever done before that Johnson valued taking one more shot before he took another job.

It’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when, and all signs point to this season as the “when.” His boss, Dan Campbell, spoke to SI about Johnson’s improvement as a coach.

“Ben has grown the most of any coach I've ever been around,” Campbell said. “He's always been a very creative play caller. He has great vision every week for how to attack our opponents, but most importantly he knows how to communicate that vision to our players in the room with him. He's confident, competent and above all, competitive. The players on offense respond to him because of it.”

That's the sort of leadership the Jets would love to have at head coach starting in 2025. New York would especially love to have a coach with offensive experience given their situation at quarterback.

While Rodgers wants to play in 2025, there's a chance the Jets could simply let him go and eat his remaining cap number, especially if they end up with a top five pick that allows them to select a new quarterback to build their team around.

The Jets also have significant decisions to make contractually with several players, including whether or not to give wide receiver Garrett Wilson the fifth-year option. That seems like a no-brainer, but a new general manager and coach will have a say.

What isn't clear is what the Jets can offer Johnson, or any coach, to entice him to come to New York as their dysfunction will certainly be seen as a detriment on the job market.