Ben Johnson: False Narrative 'Doesn't Affect Me'

Ben Johnson addresses false narratives that occurred during hiring cycle for coaches.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was one of the top assistant coaches interviewing for potential head coaching opportunities.

For Johnson, finding the perfect opportunity is not going to be taken lightly.

When the 38-year-old did not choose to depart Detroit and become an NFL head coach, certain narratives were reported, presumably from organizations that felt snubbed.

Among them was that Johnson had specific contract demands that needed to be met in order to leave Dan Campbell's staff.

Prior to OTA practice last week, Johnson addressed the reports that surfaced when it was reported he would return to Motown for another season in 2024.

“There was in my opinion some false narratives going on out there,” Johnson expressed to reporters. “It started towards the end of last year, before I made the decision to pull out. That comes with the territory. I’m good with that."

Coaches in the NFL understand that they will be put under a microscope for a variety of reasons.

What was difficult was knowing his family would read negative information that may have been slanted or organizations trying to save face.

“That’s part of life in the NFL, so doesn’t affect me," said Johnson. "I do feel for the people around me. I hate that my family would ever read stuff that’s not necessarily the case, but they handled it really, really well. So, support staff’s there from that regard. I think I sleep well at night knowing what happened, how it happened, why it happened. I’m good there and the people that are closest to me, they know who I am and what I’m about. So, it’s all good.”

Additional reading

1.) 5 Storylines to Watch During Lions' 2024 Minicamp

2.) Dan Campbell Shares Disadvantage of 18-Game NFL Schedule

3.) Lions' 2024 Roster Bubble: Safeties