4 Ben Johnson backup plans the Washington Commanders should hire
The Detroit Lions received excellent news on Tuesday when Ben Johnson made clear his intention to start next season as Lions offensive coordinator. At 37 years old, Johnson was one of the most popular head coaching candidates left on the market. The Washington Commanders were flying to Detroit to meet with Johnson in person, but those plans are now dashed.
Washington is one of two NFL teams currently without a head coach, the other being the Seattle Seahawks. There is definite appeal to the Commanders job — which features an eager new ownership group and the inherent upside of a blank slate — but Johnson will wait at least one more year before dipping his toes in the head coaching waters. He should be just as popular next January.
It's a tough break for the Commanders, but Johnson is far from the only qualified candidate left. Washington is looking for new blood after Ron Rivera's tenure ran stale. It's common for teams to pivot from defense or offense, or vice versa, with each successive head coaching hire. That said, Rivera never quite lived up to his reputation as a defensive guru in Washington. The Commanders' defense ranked dead last in yards allowed last season. Washington is expected to consider candidates on both sides of the football as a result.
Here are the best realistic options.
4. Commanders can hire Lions DC Aaron Glenn
The Commanders' flight to Detroit isn't a total loss. Washington officials are also slated to meet with Lions DC Aaron Glenn, who has been another popular candidate on the 2023 coaching carousel. The Lions' defense was middle of the pack last season, but few teams were better against the run. Glenn served as a defensive backs coach in Cleveland and New Orleans for seven years before taking the Lions D.C. gig under Dan Campbell in 2021.
Washington could certainly use a more inventive and effective approach to defense. The Commanders gutted their defensive roster at the trade deadline, sending away both Chase Young and Montez Sweat in favor of draft picks. Even so, the Commanders are primed for a quick turnaround in the NFC East. With how the season ended in Dallas and Philadelphia, there's certainly a window opening if the Commanders can effectively navigate this offseason.
Some will balk at the idea of hiring a defensive coach when Washington is about to select a quarterback with the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft. That said, Glenn could pull someone from the Ben Johnson tree in Detroit to handle O.C. duties in Washington. There are other ways to focus on QB development without hiring an offensive coach. Head coaches in general are expected to focus broadly on the entire roster and game management, not the development of a single player.
Once a first-round pick to the Jets in 1994, Glenn is a respected former player with three Pro Bowls on his résumé. He has put in the work and earned serious consideration from Washington, even if he's not the Lions coordinator everyone is fawning over.