Ben Johnson 3 1 Las Vegas RaidersMichael Reaves/Getty Images

Some in league circles wondered why the Raiders were enamored with Ben Johnson last week, leading Tom Brady to spend an hour on the phone with the coach’s agent recruiting Johnson to Las Vegas. According to sources close to the situation, one detail stood out in Johnson’s interview: Preparation.

Sources have said Johnson not only impressed the Raiders with his football acumen, but he also came incredibly prepared with a clear direction he believes he would be able to go with his coaching staff.

Sources said the Raiders never formally pursued Mike Vrabel, considered the front-runner before the season ended, because the Patriots moved on from Jerod Mayo and went all-in on Vrabel. Had Mayo not been fired in New England, Vrabel would have remained a front-runner for the Raiders job.

On the Raiders end, they probably would have lost both coordinators even if they had kept head coach Antonio Pierce. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is a head-coaching candidate in Jacksonville, among other potential destinations. Graham reportedly turned down an extension with the Raiders prior to the season, so his departure was always a distinct possibility.

Offensive coordinator Scott Turner might have been retained by Pierce, but he is still a candidate to join Bill Belichick’s staff at North Carolina.

The Raiders currently hold the No. 6 pick in April’s draft and, barring a trade up, almost surely would miss out on the consensus top two quarterbacks, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. However, Las Vegas enters the draft with all seven of its picks, plus an additional pick near the top of the third round acquired from the Jets in the Davante Adams trade.

And even if they don’t maneuver through the draft, Brady is an intriguing X factor. He already attracted Johnson, who reports have said initially planned to only interview with Chicago, Jacksonville and New England.

Could Brady be the draw that brings a proven quarterback to Las Vegas?

IMG 6466 Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders’ plans to acquire a quarterback surely plays into Johnson’s thinking, as he’s been very selective with his interviews. He’ll also need to compete in an AFC West against head coaches Andy Reid, Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh – all of whom made the playoffs this year – as well as quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Bo Nix and Justin Herbert. The Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos were a combined 36-15 (.706) in 2024. The Raiders will play a last-place schedule in 2025 after a 4-13 finish. And should Johnson partner with Brady moving forward, the Raiders could be in that mix soon enough.

No question, the Raiders have an extremely long to-do list. First on that list when Brady removes his FOX hat and dons his Raiders ownership role, is to settle on the team’s next head coach. Every indication to this point in the process is that Johnson is going to be that guy.

The NFL has restricted Brady from sitting down with Johnson as part of the FOX production meeting before the Lions (15-2) kick off their Super Bowl run against Washington (13-5) on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, FOX). A year ago, ironically, Johnson interviewed for the Washington head-coach vacancy that went to Dan Quinn, who’s led a resurgence with the Commanders.

For more information on the Raiders and the NFL hiring cycle, visit the Las Vegas team page and Coach/GM Carousel page at ProFootballPost.com.


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