Once the Detroit Lions lost Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, there was no doubt that Dan Campbell would need to find two top-notch coordinators to fill their shoes in 2025 and beyond. However, following the NFL's annual owners meetings, multiple execs had comments spill out about other teams in the league. Specifically, one NFL exec had some strong words to say to the Lions after letting ex-offensive coordinator Ben Johnson go, comparing him to Super Bowl champion head coach Sean McVay.
“Ben Johnson took total advantage of the four-down game-management approach because he’s a really, really good play caller, an evil genius, really,” another exec said via The Athletic. “Losing him would almost be like the Rams losing Sean McVay.”
Now, is it fair to compare either one? No. Sean McVay has been a head coach for eight seasons, while Ben Johnson is entering Year 1 as the Chicago Bears' leader.
Could Johnson evolve into a McVay-like coach after leaving the Lions? Certainly, but that comparison might be a bit early to make.
One area that makes sense to compare them with is age. Johnson is 33 and entering his first head coaching gig after a handful of years with the Lions, while McVay was 31 when the Los Angeles Rams hired him. As two young, offensive-minded coaches, the comparison is there. But, not every young, offensive-minded head coach should get trotted out as the next big thing.
Related Detroit Lions NewsArticle continues below
Not too long ago, the Denver Broncos hired up-and-coming offensive genius Josh McDaniels as a spry 33-year-old to become their head coach following Mike Shanahan. However, even after multiple seasons of success with the New England Patriots, McDaniel had an okay first year with the Broncos, following it up with an absolute stinker of a 12-game stretch in 2010, causing him to get fired after a Week 13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
So, although Johnson has set himself up well to succeed with the Bears after a handful of years perfecting his craft as one of the top young offensive minds in the NFL, that doesn't mean it's bound to happen.
And while Lions fans weren't too happy about their former offensive coordinator taking a job within the NFC North, they'll have two chances each regular season to take down their former coach.
However, if Ben Johnson turns into the next Sean McVay, it'd be understandable for Lions fans to be rather upset with him leaving for the Bears.