Detroit Lions will start offensive coordinator interviews this week

After weeks of deliberation on the future of their offensive coordinator position, the Detroit Lions are beginning the search for Anthony Lynn’s replacement this week. During a brief chat down in Mobile, Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell told a group of reporters that he plans on interviewing a couple offensive coordinator candidates while down at the Senior Bowl this week.

“I’ve started the process this week,” Campbell said. “So I’ll have interviewed—I’m not going to give you names—but at least a couple by the time we leave Mobile.”

One of the perceived top candidates for the job is current tight ends coach Ben Johnson. Johnson, who became the team’s de-facto passing game coordinator at the bye week after Campbell took play-calling duties from Lynn, has assumed the Lions’ offensive coordinator position at the Senior Bowl, as part of the event’s new coaching development rules. Campbell believes this is a good trial run for the real thing.

“I look at it as an opportunity, and it is an opportunity to evaluate these guys in those types of roles,” Campbell said while also noting that Johnson remains “in the conversation” for the full-time offensive coordinator gig.

It’s unclear who else is in the mix for the job, but with so many teams down in Mobile this week for the Senior Bowl, this is a great opportunity for the Lions to get into contact with options outside of Detroit.

As for calling the actual plays for the offense, Campbell said he has not yet decided whether he’s going to relinquish those duties to another coach or hold onto them again in 2022.

“I don’t know. I’m still thinking it through.”