The Detroit Lions are facing a potentially transformative offseason as two of their top coordinators—Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn—are in high demand for head coaching interviews across the NFL. As the Lions’ 2024 season ended with great success, their coaching staff is now attracting significant interest from teams seeking new leadership. The coaching carousel has already begun, and with Johnson and Glenn drawing attention from several organizations, the Lions are bracing for the possibility of losing key members of their coaching staff. This development could have far-reaching implications for the Lions, but it also presents potential opportunities to strengthen their future through draft compensation.
Ben Johnson, the Lions’ offensive coordinator, has garnered attention from a number of teams that are looking to make a change at the top. According to reports, Johnson will be interviewing with four teams between Thursday and Saturday: the Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, and Jacksonville Jaguars. Johnson’s success with the Lions’ offense has been a big part of their remarkable resurgence. Under his tutelage, the offense has become one of the most explosive in the league, with standout performances from players like quarterback Jared Goff and running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Johnson’s ability to design an effective, balanced offensive system that utilizes the strengths of his players has made him one of the most coveted coaching candidates this offseason. The Lions will be hoping that Johnson’s continued success and leadership will keep him in Detroit for the foreseeable future, but given his rising stock, it is entirely possible that he will be offered a head coaching position elsewhere.
On the defensive side, Aaron Glenn, the Lions’ defensive coordinator, has also attracted significant interest. Glenn, who has been with the Lions since 2021, has built a reputation as a coach who can develop young talent and improve a defense that has often been a weakness for the team in previous years. Under his guidance, the Lions’ defense has shown considerable growth, becoming more aggressive and opportunistic. Glenn’s ability to make adjustments and get the best out of his players has earned him respect around the league, and it is no surprise that he is one of the top candidates for several head coaching vacancies. As it stands, Glenn has been requested to interview with all six teams that currently have open head coach positions.
While the potential loss of Johnson and Glenn would undoubtedly be a blow to the Lions, head coach Dan Campbell was quick to offer his full support for his staff during a press conference on Tuesday. Campbell praised Johnson and Glenn for their contributions to the team, acknowledging that their work has been integral to the Lions’ success in 2024. In addition to Johnson and Glenn, Campbell also offered a vote of confidence for special teams coordinator Dave Fipp and assistant head coach/running backs coach Scottie Montgomery, who have both played important roles in the Lions’ turnaround. Campbell’s comments reflected a strong sense of pride in the coaching staff and an understanding that the team’s success has been a collective effort.
The possibility of losing key members of the coaching staff, however, could come with a silver lining for the Lions. Under the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which was established in 2003 to promote diversity in hiring practices, teams that lose minority coaches or executives to head coach or general manager positions are compensated with draft picks. Specifically, if a team loses a minority coach or executive who becomes a head coach or general manager elsewhere, that team receives a compensatory third-round pick for the next two years. In the case of Aaron Glenn, who is a minority coach, if he were to land a head coaching job this offseason, the Lions would receive a third-round compensatory pick for both the 2025 and 2026 NFL Drafts. This would provide the Lions with valuable draft capital, which they could use to further bolster their roster and continue their path to contention.
The compensation from the Rooney Rule is a relatively new addition to the NFL’s hiring practices. The rule, which was expanded in 2020, is designed to encourage teams to consider a broader pool of candidates for key roles within their organizations. It also serves as a form of incentive for teams to support the advancement of minority candidates in high-level positions. In the case of the Lions, who have done a strong job of developing both their coaching staff and front office, this rule could work to their benefit, should Glenn secure a head coaching position elsewhere.
While the prospect of losing a coach of Glenn’s caliber is understandably concerning for the Lions, the compensation could help offset the impact. Glenn has been a valuable asset to the Lions since his arrival, and his ability to develop players such as cornerback Jeff Okudah and defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson has played a major role in Detroit’s defensive resurgence. His departure, while unfortunate, would create an opportunity for the Lions to continue building for the future with additional draft picks. The Lions could then look to use those picks to strengthen their defense further or address other areas of need on the roster.
In addition to the potential loss of Glenn, the Lions also have an emerging general manager candidate in Ray Agnew, who currently serves as the assistant general manager under Brad Holmes. Agnew’s name has been mentioned in connection with potential general manager openings around the league, and he has played an important role in the Lions’ successful roster-building efforts. As the assistant GM, Agnew has been involved in the team’s scouting, drafting, and player evaluation processes, and he could be a target for teams looking to hire a new general manager. The New York Jets and Tennessee Titans are among the teams with openings at the GM position, and Agnew’s work with the Lions has earned him attention in those circles. If Agnew were to be hired as a general manager, the Lions could also receive compensatory picks for his departure, further aiding their efforts to build a sustainable and successful roster.
Overall, while the Lions face the potential loss of key coaching and front office talent this offseason, they are also in a position to benefit from draft compensation. The departure of Johnson and Glenn would be a blow, but it would be mitigated by the additional draft capital that the team could receive as part of the Rooney Rule. The Lions’ success in 2024 has put their coaching staff and front office on the radar of other NFL teams, but they are also in a position to reap the rewards of their hard work. As the Lions look to continue their upward trajectory, these developments will add another layer of complexity to an already exciting offseason.
