For the second year in a row, Ben Johnson turned down head coaching opportunities to stay with the Lions. As he told Amon-Ra St. Brown this offseason after pulling his name out of consideration for the Commanders job, "My heart is in Detroit."
Johnson also chose the Lions over the Panthers last season when he was the frontrunner for the Carolina job. He's intent on helping Dan Campbell and Co. win a Super Bowl in Detroit. Johnson returning for a third season in his role as offensive coordinator, said Jared Goff, is "huge."
Johnson has played a huge role in the revitalization of Goff's career after the quarterback was dumped by the Rams, and the two of them have been in lockstep in establishing the Lions' offense as one of the best in the NFL.
"He's had plenty of opportunities to leave, for two years he really did," Goff said on the TRADING CARDS podcast. "He could've left the year prior as well. We're lucky it's not about the money for him, it's not. He loves coaching and he loves being around us, and he's a very rare type of person in that way. I'm very thankful for him."
In two full seasons in Johnson's offense, Goff has completed the second most passes for the second most yards and the third most touchdowns in the NFL. Only Patrick Mahomes bests him in the former two categories. Goff's passer rating over that stretch is 98.6, smack-dab between Mahomes and Lamar Jackson.
Last season, the Lions were one of only two teams in the NFL who ranked in the top five in both passing and rushing. The other was the team they lost to in the NFC title game. For Johnson, "there's unfinished business" in Detroit.
