Detroit, MI
Lions OC who wanted $15 million to be a head coach staying in Detroit
The hottest head coaching candidate of the last two hiring cycles is staying put.
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson told the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders that he will return to Detroit for another season, according to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The 37-year-old coach also had head coaching interviews with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers, and Tennessee Titans.
This is the second time that Johnson has pulled his name out of the head coaching conversation. The Lions offensive coordinator had interviews with the Panthers, Houston Texans, and Indianapolis Colts before rescinding his name.
Johnson’s resume was even better in his second season as offensive coordinator. In 2023, the Lions put up the second-most points in franchise history according to Pro Football Reference. According to FTN, the 2023 Lions posted their first top-five finish in offensive DVOA since at least 1981. The 2022 and 2023 Lions are third and fourth, respectively, in franchise history in yards per offensive play.
Part of the reason Johnson wants to stay in Detroit, according to ESPN Commanders reporter Nicki Jhabvala, is that he wants to win a Super Bowl. That’s both a promising sign for Detroit’s 2024 prospects and a not-so-subtle dig at the remaining head coaching opportunities. After making their first NFC Championship in 32 seasons, the Lions are returning 38 of the 53 players on their roster and boast the sixth-most cap space in the NFL this offseason.
The Commanders and Seahawks, on the other hand, are pretty far from legitimate contention. Washington is set to enter a full-on rebuild; while they are equipped with the second overall pick and a league-leading $73.6 million in cap space, they are still a long way away from being the top team in their own division, let alone their conference. The Seattle Seahawks are a middle-of-the-pack team in need of a defensive rebuild. The Seahawks finished the 2023 season with the third-worst EPA/play in the league, according to RBSDM. Johnson would also have big shoes to fill, replacing the winningest coach in franchise history Pete Carroll.
However, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Johnson wasn’t necessarily a lock for a head coaching position this cycle. One of the biggest reported roadblocks in that discussion was his asking price. Back in December, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported that Johnson was looking for a payday of “at least or around” $15 million per year.
Johnson is returning the head coach who gave him his first coordinator opportunity in Dan Campbell. Johnson and Campbell worked together on the Miami Dolphins staff before Johnson left for Detroit. Campbell kept Johnson on his staff as a tight ends coach after taking on the head coaching role in 2021, promoting Johnson to offensive coordinator in 2022.
In an interview with Kevin Clark, Johnson defined the unique relationship he had with Campbell, specifically outlining how badly he doesn’t want to disappoint him.
“That would crush me,” Johnson said. “If I knew that I disappointed him … he wouldn’t have to yell. He wouldn’t have to say anything. Just knowing that I let him down would do it.”
Johnson may have disappointed Campbell with some of his play calls in the Lions’ collapse in the NFC Championship. Namely, Johnson called a third-and-goal run to David Montgomery that got stuffed for a loss with just over a minute left to go in regulation. It forced Detroit to burn a timeout, eliminating any realistic chance of Detroit getting the ball back from San Francisco. According to RBSDM’s win probability model, the decision cost the Lions 4.7 percent in win probability.
Every seat in the Michigan Senate is up for election this year, and eight of those districts are in Wayne County.
In the 4th, 5th and 8th Districts, only one Republican and one Democrat filed for election, meaning those candidates will automatically be nominated and move on to the November ballot. Here are The Detroit News endorsements in the five contested Senate primaries in Wayne County:
1st District (Southwest Detroit and parts of Downriver, including Taylor, Melvindale and Lincoln Park): Two Detroit Democrats are competing for this seat: Abraham Aiyash and Justin Onwenu.
Aiyash is a former state representative who is hoping to return to the Legislature after a two-year absence. He is a progressive whose policy positions align with Democratic socialists.
Onwenu is an attorney who served the Mike Duggan administration as Detroit’s first Director of Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunity, helping small businesses get a start in the city. Before attending Columbia Law School, where he was president of the student body from 2023 to 2024, Onwenu worked to combat air and water pollution in Detroit, Ecorse and River Rouge.
In the Senate, he promises to be a supporter of legislation to strengthen neighborhoods by lowering property taxes and investing in infrastructure.
He also supports stronger transparency and ethics rules for lawmakers. Justin Onwenu gets our endorsement in the 1st District Democratic primary.
Patrick O’Connell of Ecorse is unopposed in the Republican primary.
2nd District (Northwest Detroit, Dearborn Heights and part of Dearborn): The district is currently represented by Sylvia Santana, who made an unsuccessful bid to be nominated for the Michigan State University board.
The Democratic primary features two Dearborn residents who are hoping to replace Santana: Erin Byrnes and Abbas Alawieh.
Alawieh describes himself as a political strategist, community organizer and pro-peace advocate. He is supported by the Michigan Democratic Party’s Progressive Caucus and aligns with many of its anti-growth positions.
Byrnes is currently a state representative in her second term. Like her opponent, she is well to the left of center on the political spectrum. In the Legislature, she has pushed for utility rate controls.
The two Democrats are similarly positioned. Our choice in the 2nd District is Erin Byrnes, based on her legislative experience.
Harry Sawicki of Dearborn Heights is unopposed in the Republican primary.
3rd District (Detroit, Warren and Madison Heights): The contest to replace incumbent Stephanie Chang has drawn a long list of candidates. The 3rd District starts near Downtown Detroit and stretches north through the center of the city into southern Oakland and Macomb counties.
Eleven Democrats, all from Detroit, are competing in the primary. They are: Mohammad Alam, a Bangladeshi immigrant and Army veteran; LeJuan Council, a property manager and small business owner; John Conyers III, son of the late congressman; LaTanya Garrett, a former state representative; Korey Hall, a former director of community affairs in the Whitmer administration; Adam Hollier, a former state senator; Gary Hunter, a former candidate for Detroit City Council; Kimberly Hill-Knott, former head of the Detroit Climate Action Collaborative; Toinu Reeves, an economist, Abraham Shaw, who owns an auto repair shop, and Eboni Taylor, a community advocate.
There are several interesting and impressive candidates in this race, including Conyers, who just wrote about his father. Garrett has legislative experience, as does Hollier, whom we’ve endorsed in his previous runs for public office.
But we are most impressed with Reeves, a newcomer to politics who brings top-notch credentials to the race. Reeves grew up on Detroit’s east side and is an economist who attended Wayne State University and Dartmouth College.
He serves as chair of the Economic Development Workgroup for Detroit’s District 4 Community Advisory Committee and on the Jefferson-Chalmers Community District Council. He is a former school teacher and autoworker.
Toinu Reeves offers fresh ideas and much-needed skills, and gets our endorsement in the 3rd District Democratic Primary.
Mark Ashley Price is unopposed in the Republican primary.
6th District (Redford Township, Farmington and Farmington Hills): Incumbent Mary Cavanaugh is defending her seat from a challenge from fellow Democrat Stephen Jensen, who shows no signs of a campaign. Both are from Redford.
Mary Cavanaugh, granddaughter of the late Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanaugh, has served her district well and should be renominated for a second term.
Joi Pokerwinski of Redford Township is unopposed in the Republican Party.
12th District (Parts of Wayne, Macomb and St. Clair counties, including Algonac, the Grosse Pointes, St. Clair Shores, Harper Woods, Mount Clemens and New Baltimore): Incumbent Sen. Kevin Hertel of St. Clair Shores is unopposed in the Democratic primary. Five Republicans are competing in their primary to face him in November.
They are: Joseph Backus of St. Clair Shores, a prolific community volunteer who has run unsuccessfully for other offices; Patrick Biange of St. Clair Shores; John Goldwater of New Baltimore, an oil and gas entrepreneur; Eileen Tesch, the former mayor of Algonac who faced recall efforts, and Shelley Wright, a former general contractor and owner of a process serving company who says Donald Trump inspired her to politics.
John Goldwater has experience growing a business and creating jobs. He would also prioritize improving skilled trades training. The father of six is a conservative who describes himself as pro-life and a defender of the Second Amendment.
Our endorsement in the 12th District Republican primary goes to John Goldwater.
Photos by FOX 2 Photog Scott Federspiel
DETROIT (FOX 2) – A 16-year-old moped driver was hospitalized after a crash on Detroit’s west side on Wednesday night.
The backstory:
Detroit police say the teen disregarded a stop sign while going east on Vassar when he collided with a vehicle turning south on Outer Drive at about 9:30 p.m.
Photos by FOX 2 Photog Scott Federspiel
The boy was taken to a nearby hospital where he is listed in critical condition. The driver of the car, a woman in her 30s, was not injured.
The Source: Information for this report is from Detroit police.
Watch FOX 2 Detroit Live:
Chickens and geese that went missing from a local nonprofit’s Detroit site were found in the backyard of a nearby home, the director of operations said Wednesday.
The Full Circle Foundation, a Grosse Point Park-based nonprofit, said more than a dozen chickens and geese were believed stolen from a chicken coop on Detroit’s east side that also features the Full Circle Edible Garden.
The nonprofit provides training and job opportunities for young people with special needs.
Neighbors who learned from news reports about the missing flock found the “chickens were being held in the backyard of a vacant home not far from the Full Circle Edible Garden,” said Stephanie DiVirgil, director of operations. She said Ribbon Farm 4-H owns the flock.
“The homeowner was contacted, and she reached out to Full Circle to confirm,” said DiVirgil. “We were able to retrieve all of the chickens and geese that were found on the property, 19 in total.”
The foundation and Ribbon Farms 4-H are working to secure the site, including cameras, fencing and lights.
“We will likely start a fundraising campaign to have these items installed,” DiVirgil said. “We’ve gotten amazing support from the community, including offers to help pay for these additional security measures.”
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