The Washington Commanders have hired a new general manager, bringing in the San Francisco 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters, and with that hiring, the rumors that Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will be the Commanders’ next head coach are heating up.

“The expected hire all the way through. Peters will now work to tab the next #Commanders coach, with #Lions OC Ben Johnson firmly in play,” NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo reported on Friday.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler echoed those sentiments, tweeting, “Some league circles are watching a potential pairing of Lions OC Ben Johnson with newly appointed GM Adam Peters in Washington. #Commanders now have lengthy HC search ahead but Johnson will be coveted by many.”

Johnson is one of the hottest coaching candidates of the 2024 hiring cycle and arguably the hottest young coordinator on teams’ lists. However, it is interesting that hiring Adam Peters connects Ben Johnson and the Commanders, as the pair haven’t worked together directly before.

Peters comes from the 49ers via the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots, while Johnson came up with the Miami Dolphins before moving to Detroit with Dan Campbell.

The way the two do connect is through Peters' experience with the 49ers. Working and experiencing success alongside Kyle Shanahan, the new Commanders GM surely sees value in hiring the best young offensive mind available, as the 49ers did in 2017 with Shanahan.

In 2024, Johnson is that type of coveted OC after helping turn Jared Goff into a legit playoff-caliber quarterback and finishing 4th and 3rd in yards gained and 5th in points scored the last two seasons.