5 Sean McDermott replacements Bills should keep an eye on
By John Buhler
3. Brian Johnson's offensive philosophy would work well in Orchard Park
Brian Johnson may be green as an NFL coach, but the Philadelphia Eagles' offense has not skipped a beat since coordinator Shane Steichen left to go lead the Indianapolis Colts. Johnson first came to Philadelphia on Nick Sirianni's first staff in 2021 as his quarterbacks coach, a role he had for two years before being promoted this past year. Prior to Philadelphia, he was Dan Mullen's Florida OC.
Johnson has been well-connected in the coaching world since his playing days at Utah winded down. He played for and coached alongside Kyle Whittingham in Salt Lake, as well as worked for Mullen both in Florida and Mississippi State before that. Clearly, there is something Sirianni saw in Johnson while he was in Gainesville that has led him to this point. Johnson will not turn 37 until after the Super Bowl.
To me, I think Philadelphia's ground-centric attack around a mobile quarterback in Jalen Hurts could translate to what Josh Allen does best. Where I believe Johnson would differentiate himself from McDermott is develop a ground game outside of Allen, in addition to keeping his passing game up to snuff. The big question is if Johnson is ready to be the face of a franchise in front of the microphone?
Johnson may be a year away, but he should be an NFL head coach by 2025, and certainly by 2026.