All Lions: Johnson's Return Should Make Goff 'One of Happiest Guys' in NFL

A collection of top Lions news this weekend.

The Detroit Lions have gone from league afterthought to Super Bowl contenders in three seasons under head coach Dan Campbell. 

After a 3-13-1 finish to the 2021 campaign, the Lions have gone 21-13 over the last two years. Their 2023 season came to an end just one game short of the ultimate goal, as the team lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. 

However, there's plenty of optimism that Campbell will continue to provide the necessary guidance and leadership to keep the Lions performing at a high level. 

The Lions have already gotten commitments from both of their coordinators to return in 2024 despite garnering interest on the head coaching market. In particular, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has elected to stay in Motown. 

Former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan said this week that veteran quarterback Jared Goff will benefit from Johnson's return in a big way. Goff and Johnson have developed a strong partnership working together over the last two seasons. 

“Jared Goff should be the happiest guy — one of the happiest guys in the NFL right now, to know that going into this offseason, he’s not having to re-learn a system, he’s not having to re-learn a play caller,” Ryan said, via the Detroit Free Press. “He’s not having to do all of these things that require so much effort and also don’t allow you to pick up where you left off and I think that’s going to be really huge for that offensive team and for the team as a whole, to have Ben back.”

Detroit Lions' 2023 Season Awards

Here's a collection of other noteworthy Lions news: 

• Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press caught up with former Lions' wide receiver Nate Burleson to discuss the Lions' successful season. 
• Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was mic'd up for his appearance in the Pro Bowl Games. 
• Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson joined Fox Sports 1's SPEAK to discuss the Lions' playoff run and give his thoughts on Sunday's Super Bowl matchup. 

• Ben Raven of MLive explained the excitement that defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike is dealing with after entering the offseason healthy. A 2021 second-round pick, Onwuzurike has struggled with injuries early in his career.
• The NFL released a first look at the stage design for the 2024 NFL Draft, which will be hosted by the city of Detroit.
• NBC Sports' Gregg Rosenthal explored how Campbell's fourth down aggressiveness has impacted the NFL and its emphasis on analytics.