Ben Johnson finally decided to become the next head coach of the Detroit Lions.
But the Las Vegas Raiders and minority owner Tom Brady did their best to convince Johnson to come to the desert.
Johnson interviewed for the vacant Raiders head coaching position last week — he also interviewed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots — and reportedly spent a lot of time speaking with Brady.
Diana Russini of The Athletic on Monday provided new details on Brady’s role in trying to lure Johnson to lead the Raiders.
“Tom Brady and Ben Johnson spent hours on Zoom last weekend,” Russini wrote on Platform X. “He made a strong case and Johnson strongly considered moving to Las Vegas.”
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While Brady and the Raiders could have kept Johnson guessing where he wanted to go, the Bears ultimately won for the former offensive coordinator, who spent the last three seasons with the Detroit Lions.
The Raiders are back to the drawing board after firing Antonio Pierce following a 4-13 season. The Athletic reported 74-year-old Pete Carroll. is the favorite for the Las Vegas job while Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is a “strong candidate” but it’s likely he’ll end up coaching the New Orleans Saints or New York Jets.
The Athletic also noted that the Raiders interviewed Robert Saleh and Ron Rivera.
No matter who the Raiders end up choosing, it appears Brady will have a big say in Las Vegas’ next head coach.
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