Seahawks’ coaching search narrows again with Lions’ Ben Johnson reportedly staying in Detroit

SEATTLE – You can scratch Ben Johnson off the list of potential successors to Pete Carroll in Seattle.

Instead, the Detroit offensive coordinator decided Tuesday to stay with the Lions and turn down possible head coaching opportunities with the Seahawks and Washington Commanders. The news was first reported by the NFL Network and a few other outlets.

The NFL Network reported that Johnson told Seattle and Washington on Tuesday that he had decided to remain with the Lions.

The decision comes after Johnson met with Seahawks General Manager John Schneider and other members of their front office Monday in Detroit.

And it comes as Washington was said to have a group headed to Detroit to interview Johnson and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Reports stated the Washington group was on its way when it found out the news about Johnson, but still planned to go to interview Glenn.

As for Seattle, Schneider and the rest of the Seahawks’ contingent were scheduled to interview Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald on Tuesday in Baltimore.

With Johnson out of the picture, Seattle’s focus might shift fully to Macdonald, 36, and to former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Tuesday’s interview with Macdonald would be the first time the two sides have officially talked. Seattle did not have an initial interview with Macdonald in the week following the regular season.

Still, some around the league were portraying Seattle’s interview with Macdonald on Tuesday as a pivotal step for each side, with Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network calling it “one to watch.”

The NFL Network reported that one reason Johnson wanted to stay is to help the Lions win a Super Bowl after they lost the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.

At 37, Johnson also figures to remain a hot candidate for head coaching jobs the next few years.

He also decided to remain with the Lions following the 2022 season after interviewing for the Houston Texans’ head-coaching job and also being seriously considered by Carolina, as well.

Johnson, who rose to prominence while turning Detroit’s offense into one that ranked the top five in points and yards in each of the past two seasons, had spoken with six NFL teams during the coach-hiring process and had been considered a front-runner for the Washington job.

Still, while a desire to simply stay in Detroit might have been a factor, ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted on the social media platform X that “his asking price spooked some teams, per sources.” Schefter, though, added later that Johnson has two years remaining on his Detroit contract and that for now money was “not Johnson’s biggest motivation” though noting his contract could get adjusted later.

Seattle and Washington are the only teams with openings.

Washington also is interested in Quinn, and he had an in-person interview with the Commanders on Monday.

But a post on X from Washington Post NFL reporter Nicki Jhabvala showed Quinn at an airport in the Washington area headed out of town with his interview with the Commanders apparently over.

Seattle’s meeting Tuesday with Macdonald was the Seahawks’ last known interview scheduled.

Along with Quinn and Johnson, Seattle also held two interviews with Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and Carolina defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

Just as the news about Johnson broke, an ESPN report seemed to indicate that Kafka might be a more serious contender for the job than has been portrayed.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano stated that Kafka is “a name to watch as a potential candidate for the Seattle job if it’s not Mike Macdonald.”

While Kafka has been the offensive coordinator for the Giants the past two seasons, he made his name in NFL coaching mostly during a five-year stint working with Andy Reid in Kansas City serving as offensive quality control coach for one season, then quarterbacks coach for two years and passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for two more.

Kafka played quarterback at Northwestern and then spent time on the rosters of seven NFL teams from 2010-15, though he played in only four games, all in 2011 for the Eagles when Reid was the head coach, completing 11-16 passes for 107 yards.