NFL Rumors: Brady, Raiders Were 'Never' Front-Runners for Ben Johnson Amid Bears Buzz
January 20, 2025
The buzz around Ben Johnson and the Las Vegas Raiders appears to have been a facade.
The Detroit Lions offensive coordinator agreed to become the new head coach of the Chicago Bears on Monday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. This came despite rumors that Johnson's interview with the Las Vegas Raiders went well and that Johnson was viewed as the team's top choice.
Despite the clear pursuit from the Raiders and minority owner Tom Brady, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported that the Raiders were "never" the front-runners for Johnson.
Jordan Schultz @Schultz_ReportFrom my understanding — and as I mentioned last week — there was never a point when the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Raiders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Raiders</a> were the frontrunners for Ben Johnson, per sources. They had an interview that went really well, but Chicago was the early favorite in this process, and they finalized it today. <a href="https://t.co/5fHoTppiUK">https://t.co/5fHoTppiUK</a>
Johnson only interviewed with the New England Patriots, Raiders and Bears. The Patriots came off the list when they hired Mike Vrabel. Las Vegas is now the only one of those three that doesn't have a head coach.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Jacksonville Jaguars were also interested in Johnson, but the "setup" of the franchise wasn't what 38-year-old desired for his first head coaching gig.
Johnson was one of the most sought-after coaching candidates in the current cycle due to the success he had with the Lions. The Lions finished with a top-five offense in all three of his seasons as the offensive coordinator.
He now goes to a Bears team with a promising young quarterback in Caleb Williams, strong receivers in Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore and an overall roster that has the talent to make a quick turnaround.
On the other hand, Las Vegas has several major roster questions and need to rebuild. The Raiders don't have a clear answer at quarterback, and they may not be in position to get a top-tier signal-caller with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
Brady's presence could have made the Raiders job more attractive, but the overall uncertainty surrounding the team appears to have made Johnson's decision to head to Chicago easier.