Were the Lions the culprits of their own downfall this season? See, everything was going great for the One Pride Nation before their divisional game against the Commanders. They had just won a franchise record 15 wins in the regular season. Wrapped up the No.1 NFC seed with a win over the Vikings. Then, secured a bye week to prepare for the Commanders’ game. However, it didn’t pan out the way Detroit could have wanted. In what could have been a special season, they fell victim to a controversial NFL rule.
Here’s the thing: The NFL allows coordinators or assistants of playoff teams to sit for virtual interviews without any restrictions. So, Johnson, for one, ensured he sat for as many as he could. In that bye week, Johnson gave virtual interviews for head coach vacancies in the Bears, Raiders,
Patriots, and
Jaguars. And just two days after the Lions were eliminated, Johnson accepted the Bears’ job as their new head coach. As you can obviously tell—how distracted Johnson was with his next destination, considering how quickly he moved on from the Lions’ humiliating exit.
And that’s the thing that didn’t sit well in the eyes of
Rob Gronkowski.
Hopping on the USA Today Sports, Gronk believes there could be an immediate rule change to avoid such a head coaching fiasco when the season is still going on.
“I think there should be a rule that’s implemented for sure because it can be a distraction. The media can try to make it a distraction.” However, Gronk didn’t just urge the NFL to make a change in its rulebook. He also pointed out how the situation depends from person to person.
He gave the example of Bill O’Brien’s playoff interviews from his days in New England. “But I’ve been a part of those situations before, and it depends on how they handle it.” Well, Brien was then the Patriots’ OA when they were still in the hunt for Super Bowl XLVI. And like Johnson, he also gave a couple of interviews during their bye week. Then, went on to land the Penn State head coach gig while staying with the Patriots. Yeah, they eventually lost to the Giants, but at least Brien didn’t let it be a distraction, as Gronk pointed out.
As for Johnson, his offense scored only 31 points in their divisional game. While the
Commanders ran riot on the
Lions’ defense that allowed 38 points. Don’t forget that
Aaron Glenn, now the Jets head coach, also sat for multiple virtual interviews within that bye week. Seeing how things ended with Johnson moving to Windy City. Lions star receiver
Amon-Ra St. Brown sent a stark warning to Johnson before the 2025 season.
Amon-Ra St. Brown wants Ben Johnson to stay beware of the Lions
When it certainly looked like Johnson was probably heading to Las Vegas under Tom Brady’s ownership. He surprised everyone by accepting the Bears’ job, who had just finished last in the NFC North. Well, that led to St. Brown sending a warning to Johnson about what could happen the next time they faced off against each other.
On his St. Brown Podcast, the Lions receiver said, “I told him. Two times a year, Ben, we’re going to f— you up.” His message was clear on what Johnson needs to prepare for in his new home in Chicago. But Johnson isn’t someone who would bow down and accept the challenge. He also replied, “I am going to f— you up,” as per St. Brown.
Well, that back-and-forth friendly chatter didn’t stop there. As Brown further added on what could give him an edge over his former coordinator, “I told him I know all the plays he likes to run. I know all his tendencies, and we were going back and forth messing around.” It seems Johnson needs to think of some fresh ideas with Caleb Williams as the face of his Bears offense. Otherwise, it could be St. Brown who will have the last laugh in their friends to foes challenge.
The post FOX’s Rob Gronkowski Demands Change From Roger Goodell’s NFL as Lions Star Sends Strong Message to Ben Johnson appeared first on EssentiallySports.
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