A year ago, the Washington Commanders attempted to damage Ben Johnson’s reputation, and now, a new attempt largely disregards the previous context.

During last year’s head coach hiring cycle, Ben Johnson and the Washington Commanders seemed like a great match. However, after Johnson pulled out of the process as their executives were on their way to Detroit for an in-person interview, the Commanders made an effort to tarnish Johnson’s image through media allies. A notable detail from a piece in The Athletic read:

“He is considered a coach who prefers holing up in his office, coming up with game plans and playing with mad scientist vibes rather than leading a locker room.”

There were also reports suggesting Johnson didn’t perform well in his first interview with the Commanders, despite them traveling to meet him in person.

Johnson’s side of the story emerged, with reports indicating he was displeased with “basketball guys” in their ownership group. Principal owner Josh Harris also owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, and Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson is a minority partner. In broad terms, the two sides simply didn’t align.

The Commanders hired a more fitting head coach in Dan Quinn, and it’s clear that decision paid off as they now head into a playoff clash with the Lions.

Commanders attempt to discredit Ben Johnson once again

As previously mentioned, the Commanders ensured their narrative was spread after Johnson reportedly rejected them in favor of staying with the Lions. The matter should be over now, even as the Lions and Commanders prepare for a playoff game, making it a “storyline.” It’s too late for any meaningful updates to the narrative.

We understand why reporters might hold onto information until it’s strategically relevant. It brings attention, driven by timing. They might also get fed this info when it gains renewed relevance. With this in mind, ahead of Saturday’s Divisional Round game, Commanders insider Lake Lewis Jr. shared this story on the “Ramblin With Rio Robinson” podcast.

“I don’t know if this has been made public, but here’s what I was told. They were on their way to Detroit for the interview with Ben Johnson. It came up that Ben Johnson still wanted Sam Howell to be his quarterback. That’s who he wanted for his offense. There were Carolina ties and all that. Adam Peters was like ‘No,’ because they already knew who they were going to draft.

We all knew who they were drafting. Johnson didn’t want him. So, if anyone should be upset, it should be Jaden [Daniels]. Credit to Adam Peters for saying, ‘No, this is the quarterback you’ll have to work with.’ And it was Peters who said, ‘Turn the plane around.’”

Lewis likely knew this story had never been disclosed publicly, so it’s a bit misleading.

The Commanders had the opportunity to select a quarterback with the second overall pick in last year’s draft, and they ultimately chose Jaden Daniels. That decision worked out, and they traded Sam Howell to the Seahawks.

Johnson may have wanted Howell to remain as the Commanders’ quarterback if he had accepted their head coaching job. But it’s hard to believe he would have outright rejected the chance to work with whatever rookie they ended up drafting. Even if Peters favored Howell, it wasn’t a certainty that Daniels would be the pick in January 2024.

The claim that general manager Peters called for the plane to be turned around while en route to Detroit requires an important qualification. They conducted an in-person interview with Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in Detroit the same day.

So which is it? Did Johnson reject the Commanders while they were en route to Detroit, as reported a year ago? Or did the Commanders cancel the interview when Johnson expressed his preference for Howell, and then turn the plane around? It can’t be both, and the fact they still met with Glenn in Detroit suggests the plane never turned around.

It seems the Commanders remain unsatisfied with how things turned out. With a new opportunity to discredit Johnson ahead of their playoff matchup with the Lions, they took it.

Johnson was well aware that the Commanders weren’t the right fit for him, in any case. They’ve shown that again by feeding a reporter a story that becomes less credible the more it’s examined.