The Detroit Lions are riding high after their dominant 31-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, January 5. With this impressive win, the Lions secured the NFC’s top seed, clinched the NFC North title, and earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Now, the Lions have some time to rest. With a first-round bye, they’ll skip the Wild Card round and await their next opponent, determined by the results of the upcoming playoff games.
However, this playoff run comes with a unique twist, as a historic NFL rule change is set to impact the Lions.
Lions Coordinators Allowed to Interview for Head Coaching Jobs During Bye Week
Both Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn are highly sought-after names for head coaching positions. In previous seasons, they would have had to wait until the Lions’ playoff run ended—or until after the Super Bowl—to participate in interviews.
This season, though, a new NFL rule allows Johnson and Glenn to interview for head coaching positions during the bye week. The interviews must be conducted virtually and are limited to a specific window: January 8 to January 13.
NFL analyst Peter Schrager of Fox Sports shared details on the change via X, writing:
“New coaching hire cycle rules.
As the coordinators from the number 1 seeded team, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn can interview with teams starting Wednesday. (Chiefs offensive coordinator Matthew) Nagy and (Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) Spags can, too. They’ve all got to be virtual and they must be completed by Monday, Jan. 13.”
While these interviews could theoretically distract the coordinators during the bye week, both are seasoned professionals unlikely to lose focus on the Lions’ ultimate goal: a Super Bowl championship.
The Lions will host the winner of the No. 5 seed Minnesota Vikings and No. 4 seed Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field. That Wild Card matchup will take place on Monday, January 13, in Los Angeles.
NFL Teams Eager to Lock in Head Coach Interviews
On Monday, January 6, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Chicago Bears had requested interviews with both Johnson and Glenn for their head coaching vacancy. According to The Athletic, the New York Jets have also expressed interest in Glenn.
NFL insider Albert Breer confirmed this, reporting, “The Jets have put in a request to interview Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn for their head-coaching job, per sources. He was the team’s first-round pick in 1994 and played corner for eight seasons for the team.”
The Lions’ dominant win over the Vikings has only heightened interest in their coordinators. Detroit’s defense was particularly impressive, holding Minnesota to just nine points and no touchdowns despite several key defensive injuries. With such performances, it’s likely that at least one of these coordinators will land a head coaching role for the 2025 season.
