Seahawks head coaching search: Seattle should steal Ben Johnson from the Lions

Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Lions. would be a great fit for Seattle.
Mike Mulholland/GettyImages
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Ben Johnson is a great young offensive mind Seattle could tap for the next head coach of the Seahawks. Johnson has done remarkable work with the Lions offense the past two seasons as Detroit's offensive coordinator.

Since Johnson took over as the Lions OC, Detroit went from 25th in the league in points per game (19.1 ppg) to fifth in the league ( 27.1 ppg). The Lions have also gone from 22nd in the league in yards per game (322.6 yards per game) to third in the league (394.8 YPG).

The Seahawks also have been needing to fix their offensive line for years. With the young talent they have up front with Olu Oluwatimi, Anthony Bradford, Charles Cross, and Abe Lucas, a coach such as Johnson could help these guys. The offensive line for the Lions currently is the second-best offensive line in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Johnson has played a monumental role in helping build the offensive line for the Lions, and he could help these young Seahawks offensive linemen grow into a more consistent unit.

Seattle Seahawks should hire Ben Johnson to be the team's next head coach

Not only has the offensive line play improved in Detroit with Ben Johnson as OC, but so have the offensive weapons. Amon Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery, Jahmir Gibbs, and Sam Laporta have all flourished in the Lions offense. A big reason is the creative play-calling of Johnson. With the offensive talent the Seahawks have put together in the last several drafts, Johnson could work well with the Seahawks' current offensive talent.

Though Johnson is expected to be more of a long-shot candidate for the heading coaching job in Seattle, the Seahawks could bring him in to interview for the position. Johnson is expected to be a name that is highly sought-after in this coaching carousel cycle. What he has accomplished in Detroit certainly will not have gone unnoticed.

In fact, several sites have listed Johnson among the hottest names to be a head coach in 2024. CBS Sports even says Johnson could be at the top of the list for many teams. The bottom line is that if the Seahawks don't snatch up Johnson, someone else likely will. Johnson is worthy of hiring for the Seahawks.

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