The Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is reportedly seeking a $15 million annual salary from any team that wishes to hire him as their head coach.
While some have questioned whether Johnson is deserving of such a high salary, ESPN’s Adam Schefter hinted during a recent appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” that it might not be too far off from what a team like the Carolina Panthers would actually consider paying to land an up-and-coming head coach candidate like Johnson.
In the offseason of last year, Johnson took an interview to be the head coach of the Panthers, but he ultimately decided to stay with the Lions.
The reason Carolina is reportedly interested in Johnson is that they need a mentor for their first-round choice, Bryce Young, 22, who has struggled in his rookie season under interim head coach Chris Tabor and former head coach Frank Reich, who was dismissed 11 games into the season.
With a quarterback rating of 75, Young has completed 59.7% of his throws for 2,671 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. As Carolina’s starting quarterback, he is 2–12 with a passing yardage ranking of 20, touchdowns scored in 24, completion %, and passer rating of 27.
Jared Goff has had a career resurgence under Johnson’s coaching, with a 20-12 record over the last two years while throwing for 8,422 yards, 56 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, and a passer rating of 98.8. This season, Goff is ranked fifth in passer rating and third in passing yards and touchdowns.
On the other hand, Carolina’s offensive is ranked 30, 29, and 30th in the same categories, while the Lions offense is ranked third in overall offense and fifth in both passing and scoring offense.
