Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will return to the Detroit Lions next season, despite interest from the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks, who are looking to hire new head coaches.
Sources told ESPN, NFL Network and the Washington Post about the development Tuesday.
Johnson, 37, led a Lions offense that totaled the third-most yards and fifth-most points in 2023. The Lions threw for the second-most passing yards and fifth-most rushing yards.
Johnson joined the Lions staff in 2019 as an offensive quality control coach. He was a tight ends coach in 2020 and 2021. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022.
Johnson worked was an assistant, quarterback coach, tight ends coach and wide receivers coach while with the Miami Dolphins from 2012 through 2018. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Boston College in 2009.
Johnson was scheduled to meet this week for interviews with the Commanders and Seahawks, the only NFL teams with head coaching vacancies.
He previously drew interest from the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers and Tennessee Titans, who hired coaches earlier this month.
Eric Bieniemy, Aaron Glenn, Mike Macdonald, Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, Bobby Slowik and Anthony Weaver are among the other coaches the Commanders either interviewed or plan to interview.
Morris, Quinn, Slowik, Macdonald, Ejiro Evero, Patrick Graham, Mike Kafka and Frank Smith are among the other coaches in whom the Seahawks have shown interest.
