Ben Johnson wins AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Ben Johnson was a clear choice for the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year, receiving 29 first-place votes.

Johnson, who was the Lions offensive coordinator, led a group that was first in scoring (33.22 points per game) and second in yards (409.5). He was hired to coach the Chicago Bears after Detroit lost in the playoffs.

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores got three first-place votes and finished second in the voting. Former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who was hired to coach the New York Jets, received six first-place votes and came in third.

The award was among eight being presented Thursday night at NFL Honors.

The other awards include Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season.

Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, Joe Burrow, Jared Goff and Lamar Jackson are finalists for MVP.

Barkley, Burrow and Jackson also are finalists for Offensive Player of the Year and Burrow is also in the running for Comeback Player of the Year.

Jackson was voted AP first-team All-Pro quarterback while Allen made the second team. Allen and the Bills beat Jackson and the Ravens in the playoffs before losing to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC title game.

Barkley ran for 2,005 yards, eighth-best in NFL history. He’s run for 442 yards and five touchdowns in the playoffs, helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl against Kansas City on Sunday.

Barkley is 30 yards away from breaking Terrell Davis’ 26-year-old record for most in a season, including playoffs.

A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league completed voting before the playoffs began.

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