The Las Vegas Raiders are currently in the midst of a pivotal head coaching search, as the franchise fired Antonio Pierce on Tuesday after an underwhelming 2024 campaign, which saw the team post a 4-13 record and lose ten straight games at one point.
Las Vegas is set to hire their fourth head coach in seven years and will also name a new general manager, as the Raiders also moved on from Tom Telesco this week. It’s clear that the franchise needs some stability in leadership and must find a head coach and general manager who are on the same page and can collaborate well together.
The team has met with a few high-level head coaching candidates, including Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The 38-year-old has been one of the best offensive coordinators in football over the last two years and is one of the most highly sought-after head coaching options on the market.
The Raiders met with Johnson virtually on Friday, and according to NFL insider Peter Schrager, Las Vegas has emerged as a legit landing spot for the Lions coach.
“Ben Johnson and the Raiders actually picking up way more steam in league circles over last 48 hours,” Schrager posted on X on Saturday.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport adds that Las Vegas is “enamored” with Johnson and he has quickly emerged as a candidate for the franchise’s head coaching vacancy.
“Las Vegas is said to be enamored with Johnson, sources say. He has quickly emerged as the candidate to watch for Las Vegas, as the Raiders — in a search that prominently includes limited partner Tom Brady — are willing to wait as long as it takes to secure their potential future head coach,” Rapoport wrote on Saturday.
Landing Johnson as head coach would be a franchise-altering move by the Raiders. The South Carolina native is one of the most promising offensive minds in the sport and has the potential to be the next great offensive head coach who can completely revitalize an organization sooner rather than later.
Leave a Reply