It was love at first sight—or rather, first listen—for Tom Brady and Mark Davis in regards to Ben Johnson. The Detroit Lions offensive coordinator interviewed for the Las Vegas Raiders head coaching job last week, leaving Sin City’s ownership group “enamored.” So much so that Brady and Davis, according to one NFL insider, may have already submitted an offer to Johnson for the job.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noted on Wednesday that a rumor made its way to him, being that the Raiders have offered an alleged “massive” deal to land Johnson as their next head coach.
“While it’s premature for offers to officially be made, the talk is out there that a big number is unofficially out there,” Florio explained.
If that is the case, Ben Johnson and the Raiders are as close to a sure thing as it gets. As is, the pairing may already be a sure thing, with or without an [unofficial] offer currently floating around.
In addition to the contract rumor, Florio has also been told that Johnson ended his interview with positive feelings towards Sin City’s situation.
“Johnson, we’ve heard, emerged from his Raiders interview with positive feelings about the team and minority owner Tom Brady.”
Even other coaches interviewing for the job feel the Raiders have their hearts set on Johnson.
Las Vegas Raiders are all-in on Ben Johnson; others around the NFL agree
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has been ahead of the curve when it comes to Johnson and the Raiders and continues to be. Per Rapoport, there’s no competition for Las Vegas’ head coaching job; it’s Ben Johnson’s, with many sharing that same thought.
“The people who are associated with the Raiders’ job… I’m talking other candidates, I’m talking agents.. People around the NFL… There does seem to be an acknowledgement that Ben Johnson is the leading candidate. And there’s a lot of people who think, frankly, he’s getting it,” Rapoport noted on Wednesday.
“They’re not done. They certainly have not done the requirements that would allow them to hire a coach. He’s not even allowed to be officially hired until the season’s done. But it does seem like that is the direction that it is heading.”
While the head coach search seems all but finished, the general manager position remains a complete mystery. Up to this point, Mark Davis and company have requested interviews with Green Bay Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager John Spytek, Pittsburgh Steelers director of pro scouting Sheldon White, and New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown.
In any case, now-former Raiders general manager Tom Telesco didn’t get the boot because he didn’t perform well. It happened so the position could be open for a strong candidate such as Johnson to bring in ‘their guy,’ whoever that may be.
Raider Nation can expect whoever Ben Johnson deems as ‘his guy’ to take control of the front office moving forward. That is, of course, assuming the 38-year-old becomes the next head coach of the Silver and Black.
So far, all signs point to that happening.
*Top Photo: Daniel Bartel/Imagn Images
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