The initial month and more of 2025 has been tough for the Detroit Lions, with the team facing one disappointment after another, from exiting the NFL playoffs to the departure of their exceptional offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson.
Following the Lions’ sudden playoff departure and coaching changes, quarterback Jared Goff expressed a gracious sentiment to Johnson after he accepted the head coaching position with the Chicago Bears.
During Johnson’s tenure, Goff assisted the Lions in ranking among the top five for total yards per game in each of the past three seasons and is concluding one of his best seasons with 37 touchdowns and 4,629 passing yards.
It’s probable that Goff and the Lions’ skilled offense won’t operate as seamlessly in the future, but the Lions quarterback expressed only admiration for Johnson as he begins the next phase of his NFL coaching journey.
“He’s an incredible coach.” “He’s someone who has significantly impacted my career,” Goff stated in a SiriusXM interview during the Pro Bowl this past weekend. “I clearly admire him a lot.” I was teasing him; I hope he didn’t need to be in our division so I wouldn’t have to compete against him two times a year.
“However, he is going to perform excellently.” Hopefully not overly good, considering we are still in the same division together. However, I will always be a supporter of his and we’ll maintain a positive relationship.
Very elegant.
Goff and the Lions’ pursuit of Super Bowl victory this year was abruptly halted in the divisional round, as Detroit fell in a 45-31 high-scoring battle against the Washington Commanders. After Johnson’s emotional exit, the Lions employed ex-Denver Broncos passing game coordinator John Morton as their new offensive coordinator, who had formerly worked on the Lions’ staff in 2022.
Anticipating a somewhat unpredictable future for Detroit, Goff will wish for him and the Lions to regroup next season, even in the absence of his reliable OC.