Just because a hot commodity NFL coordinator might leave for another job doesn’t mean they’re not focused on the task at hand. This point has become a weird conversation concerning new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
The overarching assertion floating around is that because Johnson had coaching interviews on tap, he wasn’t focused enough on preparing the Detroit Lions before their divisional-round playoff loss.
Naturally, this sentiment is ridiculous. Coaches like Johnson are (successfully) juggling so much on their plate at one time. And as former NFL All-Pro offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz asserted on Twitter, it’s actually common for coaches like Johnson to start preparing for next week’s opponent a little early because they know the more they do, they risk overthinking their game plan.
So, why wouldn’t this idea also apply to head coaching interviews?
You guys would hate to hear that coaches sometimes start watching the next week opponent’s game film on Saturday and gameday Sunday (with a night game) during the season. Once things are tidied up from a game plan perspective by Friday afternoon, a lot of coaches take a step… https://t.co/nqh80ymmb7
— Mitchell Schwartz (@MitchSchwartz71) January 22, 2025
In response to this bubbling criticism about Johnson, Lions star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown vehemently defended his ex-coordinator on the latest St. Brown Podcast. He more or less echoed Schwartz’s peek behind the curtains of an NFL team’s operations. St. Brown shot down the idea that Johnson was distracted before Detroit was eliminated by the Washington Commanders, claiming that he was “as locked in as he can be for that game.”
Never mind that Johnson’s offense still put 31 points and over 500 yards despite three turnovers. It’s awfully funny to claim a coordinator is distracted when his unit performs that well:
Amon-Ra St. Brown on losing Ben Johnson to the Chicago Bears 👀 pic.twitter.com/zbuWKEueWy
— Ficky (@itsfickybaby) January 22, 2025
Johnson was ready to run his own show in the NFL. That much is clear for one of the better head coaching candidates in recent memory. But it doesn’t mean he was going to leave his former team high and dry in a high-leverage playoff moment.
Still saying otherwise just screams sour grapes.
