One thing to remember is that highly-touted coaching candidates aren’t destined for one team. Multiple organizations are sure to have an interest in his services. Chicago Bears fans should remember that regarding Ben Johnson. Yes, the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator is rumored to have interest in the job, but other teams may have ways to sway him. It appears one of them is already in the process of doing precisely that. Albert Breer alluded to it earlier this week when he said the Jacksonville Jaguars might be a team to watch on that front.
Now, Benjamin Allbright, a proven insider for KOA Colorado, reinforced this. The belief is Jacksonville can offer Johnson something the Bears can’t at the moment: a chance to pair with a GM he’s familiar with. Expectations are that the Jaguars will fire Trent Baalke after the season ends. That means they have the freedom to hire whoever Johnson wants. That idea seems far more appealing to the young coordinator, who’s reportedly made it clear he prefers alignment with the GM.
They already insisted GM Ryan Poles was safe after the firing of Matt Eberflus in November. The plan was for him to help lead the search for the next coach. However, that is already becoming problematic as one of the top options isn’t interested in working with him. So unless they’re willing to shift gears and fire him, they may have to find their next head coach elsewhere. That is sure to get severe backlash from fans who have been calling for Poles’ head for weeks as the team sits at ten straight losses.
They don’t see any logical reason he deserves to keep his job. He hired Eberflus. He built one of the worst offensive lines in football. His only solace is being able to maneuver for a chance to draft Caleb Williams. That alone should not absolve him of his mistakes. Ben Johnson is the kind of coach who seems like another Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan: young, creative, aggressive, and able to connect with today’s athletes. If Poles is the only one standing in the way of that, the decision shouldn’t be difficult.
