3 reasons why Ben Johnson joining Tom Brady's Raiders as HC is a bad idea

Ben Johnson's Lions are still alive in the 2024-25 season. As such, the Lions offensive coordinator still has a full workload. However, he won't have one much longer. Even if the Lions win the Super Bowl, Johnson's work will be done in a month. As one of four teams left in the NFC, he could essentially be done this weekend.

Once that happens, his decision to coach another team becomes real. Many teams are interested, but the Raiders should look elsewhere. Here's why.

Why Ben Johnson joining Tom Brady's Raiders doesn't make sense

#1 - Very different philosophies

Ben Johnson at Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears - Source: Imagn

By hiring Ben Johnson, the Raiders would be signaling a departure from "The Patriot Way." However, that would be a tough sell to Tom Brady, who owns a minority share of the team but is rumored to have a disproportionate level of pull.

Suppose the Raiders go with someone with Johnson's analytical philosophy. In that case, it most likely will fly in the face of the Patriot Way, creating confusion for the players who could be adjusted to a certain way of doing things recently with Brady's influence. This could cause organizational friction, holding back the organization as a whole.

#2 - Rookie head coach

Ben Johnson screams from the sidelines - Source: Imagn

While Ben Johnson has gotten plenty of credit with the Detroit Lions, he has never been a head coach in the NFL before. That means he would need to take a year to get his bearings at the expense of players, fans and ownership. At this point, the Raiders just went through similar headaches with Antonio Pierce, who started well, but his inexperience showed by the end.

If Johnson were to be hired, expect things like timeouts to be used too much, too little and too soon. Also, as he irons out his message and figures out how to be the leader the team needs, they will pay the price with losses, which could create a downward spiral if his confidence gets shaken.

#3 - Too much pressure

Johnson at Detroit Lions v Chicago Bears - Source: Getty

The Las Vegas Raiders wouldn't exactly be tasking Ben Johnson with living up to the expectations levels of Super Bowl-winning coaches like Bill Belichick or Sean Payton. However, the difficult state of the division at a coaching level would heap pressure on Johnson.

Not only would he need to learn the ins and outs of the job, but he would have to find a way to beat Sean Payton and Bo Nix, Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert and Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.

Put simply, any perceived inability to keep up with the veterans could lead fans to pressure Mark Davis and Tom Brady to cut ties. If the fans start hollering, Johnson might be kicked aside before he has completely proven an inability to do the job, which might be the worst outcome of all for the young coach who has worked his way through the ranks since 2009, per Pro Football Reference.