Patriots Rumors: Key Question Ben Johnson Needed To Answer

The Patriots completed an interview with one of the most popular coaching candidates this cycle and have to contemplate if he’s a right fit for them.

New England didn’t schedule any interviews after Friday, so it’s safe to surmise that Mike Vrabel or Johnson will fill the head coaching vacancy. Vrabel reportedly is the “heavy favorite,” but Johnson wasn’t completely ruled out.

The team’s interview, according to NFL rules, was conducted virtually and was limited to three hours. That meant the sides only had a limited amount of time to get the key topics out of the way.

“After speaking to multiple league sources, one question that arose when it came to projecting Johnson as a head coach was this: How exactly would he manage his time as a play-calling head coach?” NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry wrote Friday.

This head coaching cycle marked the third straight year Johnson was involved in talks. He came close to the Carolina Panthers gig before backing out, and he reportedly was the favorite to land the Washington Commanders job before deciding to give it one more run with the Detroit Lions.

It’s safe to assume Johnson has his head coaching plans thought out, but that was something else the Patriots likely needed to know during their interview with the offensive coordinator. The Krafts were open to being “blown away” by Johnson, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, and the interview went well, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

New England will assess its candidates as other teams interview Vrabel and Johnson.