When it was announced that Ben Johnson was taking the head coaching job in Chicago, there was definitely an element of surprise among Raider fans.
For over a week, the organization and the fans were optimistic that Johnson might choose the Raiders, and when it didn’t happen, there was a lot of talk about what went wrong.
Was Johnson leveraging the Raiders to get a better deal from the Bears and or did the conversation break down on account of Johnson’s hefty demands?
There is still a lot that hasn’t been shared, but it’s no secret that Johnson’s decision came as a surprise to many.
Aside from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it seemed like just about everyone in the industry believed Johnson was leaning toward taking the Raiders job. In fact, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said some were under the impression he was headed to Vegas right up to the announcement he had chosen the Bears.
“There [were] lots of conversations around the league about where Ben would go, even minutes up to when this story broke, where people thought he was going to Vegas. Brady made a really strong case,” Russini said on the Scoop City podcast.
“This wasn’t about money. This wasn’t about roster control and power play,” Russini continued. “This was about one thing, and that’s Caleb Williams. [The Bears are] the organization that’s got the talented quarterback”
Looking ahead for the Raiders, they need to find a head coach, but just as importantly, they need to find a franchise quarterback.
As the Lions and Vikings recently reminded everyone, it’s almost impossible to get a Super Bowl without a top 10 quarterback in the league.
Right now the Raiders are focused on finding a GM and a head coach, but if they don’t drastically improve their quarterback situation, there’s a good chance the coaching carousel in Las Vegas will be back again in another year or two.
x: @raidersbeat
Caleb Williams doesn’t even fit into his style of offensive play?
Johnson is like every other whiz kid who did a great job as a coordinator.. He may be another Sean McVay as a HC and he might be a Josh McDingleberries.. Next man up..
I believe the right coach could win with Adian O’Connell as QB. Just we need to be healthy and beef up the front line. Get back to being dominating up front. I would love Gruden back, or Eric Ebeneimy bring in Hendon Hooker back up in Detroit QB. Tee Higgins, and draft big fast RB.