Ben Johnson told Commanders he was pulling out of running for head coach as team brass was flying to Detroit

Johnson is sticking with the Lions for at least one more season

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson had significant interest from other teams, but has decided to stay put in Detroit to continue to run their offense. Johnson pulled his name out of the hat for jobs with the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, but not until one of those teams was already on their way to Michigan.

Johnson informed the Commanders that he no longer wants to be considered for the job while they were in the air headed for Detroit, per CBS Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. Washington also planned to interview Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, so the trip was not a waste.

This is the second consecutive year Johnson has taken himself out of the running, despite being a candidate. Johnson told the other teams he is staying in Detroit because he wants another shot at winning a Super Bowl with the Lions, per the Washington Post.

According to FOX Sports analyst Mark Schlereth, though, Johnson was only interested in taking one job this offseason: the Chargers. (The Chargers job was the only one open this offseason that was for a team that definitively has its long-term quarterback solution in place, so it's possible that Johnson is only looking to leave for a job that meets that specific criteria. L.A. eventually lavished a monster deal on Jim Harbaugh instead.) Why he would interview with other teams if that was the only job that interested him was left unsaid, but it's at least an interesting note given that Johnson has now removed himself from consideration in consecutive years. 

The price tag Johnson wanted was reportedly an issue and scared off some teams in search of their next head coach, according to ESPN. CBS Sports HQ senior NFL insider Josina Anderson previously reported that NFL owners were told he wanted at or around $15 million a year, but Johnson's agent disputed the report. 

The Lions came close to making their first Super Bowl: 30 minutes into the NFC Championship game, up 17 points, it looked like they were heading to Las Vegas for the big game. The San Francisco 49ers ended up winning 34-31 in a Lions collapse that included dropped passes, penalties and questionable coaching decisions.

After the loss, head coach Dan Campbell said he told his players that "this may have been our only shot" to make the Super Bowl, but clearly Johnson believes they have another chance next year, and wants to be around for it.