Ben Johnson recently turned heads by expressing his excitement to finally work with a quarterback like Caleb Williams, who can extend plays. On the surface, it seemed like an endorsement of his new quarterback, but some Lions fans—and even some players—took it as a subtle dig at Jared Goff. One of those players was star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown.
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So why is this seemingly innocent quote from Johnson being perceived as a dig? Those who see it that way believe Johnson was implying he didn’t have a quarterback in Detroit who could extend plays.
Well, whether Johnson intended it as a dig or not, Amon-Ra certainly saw it that way.
“So basically what that’s saying is that he didn’t have someone who could extend the play before. That’s what he’s saying,” the wideout argued on his podcast.
But Amon-Ra’s brother, Equanimeous, disagreed. He defended Johnson, telling his brother not to read too much into the comments, noting that Johnson was likely just endorsing his new quarterback and that Williams is indeed more “mobile” than Goff.
“He didn’t say sh*t about Jared. Let’s say Jared was mobile like he could run… He would probably say the same sh*t. Like he’s excited that Caleb can run. Like, what do you want him to say, bro? He’s the coach of the f*cking Bears. Like no, he’s not throwing shade,” Equanimeous clapped back.
Yet Amon-Ra still didn’t appreciate the comments. Something about the way they were worded seemed to bother him. However, he concluded by saying he’d let his former offensive coordinator’s remarks slide for now but advised that in the future, Johnson should consider how his words might be perceived by the media.
“My boy, Ben. Ah, I don’t know,” Amon-Ra said with a grin on his face. “Obviously he has to say that, he’s the head coach of the Bears. Caleb’s the quarterback and you have to say certain sh*t. But it’s like, could he have worded it a little bit different? Maybe, but you know. That’s just going to give Jared that much more fire when we play the Bears. I’m here for it. Fire my QB up to play the Bears. Lovely.”
It’s hard to know if Johnson truly had any ill will behind the comments. Sometimes, as media members, we tend to single out one quote and emphasize it more than the rest. But when the context is later revealed, it’s understandable why somebody would’ve said what they said. That seems to be the case here for Johnson.
The interview was a complete endorsement of his new quarterback and why he’s excited to work with him. Johnson talked about how Williams can throw off-platform, on the run, as well as extend plays. And let’s be honest, these aren’t particularly things that Goff is known for.
Goff is a pocket passer who is excellent at reading defenses. He’s more of a traditional quarterback. Williams is a part of the new wave of quarterbacks who can throw from multiple arm angles and platforms to get the job done.
If anything, Johnson was just giving us an honest assessment of Williams. Inferences should be made, but it’s not like Johnson wasn’t telling the truth. Williams is more capable of making throws outside of the pocket than Goff. That’s just a fact. It doesn’t mean Goff is a bad quarterback because he can’t do that as well.
