Ben Johnson Named AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year
Ben Johnson was recognised as the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year, securing 29 first-place votes.
As the Lions' offensive coordinator, Johnson led a unit that ranked first in scoring with an impressive 33.22 points per game and second in yards at 409.5. After Detroit's playoff loss, he was hired to coach the Chicago Bears.
In the voting, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores received three first-place votes, finishing second. Former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, recently appointed head coach of the New York Jets, garnered six first-place votes and came in third.
The award was one of eight presented at the NFL Honors ceremony.
Other awards included Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season.
Finalists for MVP featured Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, and Lamar Jackson.
Notably, Barkley, Burrow, and Jackson are also contenders for Offensive Player of the Year, with Burrow in the running for Comeback Player of the Year as well.
Jackson was acclaimed as the AP first-team All-Pro quarterback, while Allen made the second team. The Bills, led by Allen, triumphed over Jackson's Ravens in the playoffs but fell short against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC title game.
Barkley achieved 2,005 rushing yards, ranking eighth in NFL history. He has accumulated 442 yards and five touchdowns in the playoffs, propelling the Eagles to the Super Bowl showdown against Kansas City on Sunday.
Barkley is just 30 yards away from surpassing Terrell Davis' long-standing record for most rushing yards in a season, including playoffs.
The voting was concluded by a nationwide panel of 50 media members who closely follow the league, prior to the commencement of the playoffs.
