The Patriots have requested a head-coaching interview with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, a source confirmed.
Johnson is considered one of the top candidates on the market. He interviewed for multiple head-coaching jobs last year, then opted to return to Detroit where the Lions clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC over the weekend. Under Johnson’s leadership, Detroit also finished first in the league in scoring after ranking fifth in 2023.
Johnson was originally hired to his position in 2022, following three seasons as a lower-level assistant on the Lions’ staff. He originally entered the coaching ranks at Boston College as a graduate assistant in 2009. Johnson joined the NFL in 2012 with Miami, where he coached quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends through the 2018 season. The next year, he left to become an offensive quality control coach in Detroit.
The Patriots are also expected to interview ex-Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who is considered a leading candidate for the job.
Owner Robert Kraft fired coach Jerod Mayo less than two hours after Sunday’s 23-16 win over the Bills. Mayo went 4-13 in his only season as head coach. Kraft hand-picked Mayo to succeed Bill Belichick in Jan. 2023 when he was still an assistant on Belichick’s staff and a full year away from taking the job.
Sports Illustrated first reported the Patriots’ request to interview Johnson.
