Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper will get to chat with his white whale this week.
As first reported by Joe Person of The Athletic, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is scheduled to interview for Carolina’s head-coaching position on Friday. The interview with Johnson, who has been considered the “top candidate” in the Panthers’ search, will be a virtual one.
Last week, the highly-regarded play-caller was asked if he would be accepting all head-coaching interviews during this hiring cycle. He didn’t offer much in his reply.
“It’s awesome,” he told reporters this past Thursday. “Quite an honor. But, uh, honestly haven’t thought about it—beyond anything that’s going on this week. So, just leave it at that right now.”
That focus paid off for the Lions, who held off the visiting Los Angeles Rams en route to a 24-23 win in the Wild Card Round. The triumph was Detroit’s first playoff victory since 1991—ending the NFL’s longest such drought.
Johnson, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, is also scheduled for a virtual interview with the Washington Commanders on Friday.
