Former NFL star Chad Johnson looking to join Jaguars coaching staff

Although wide receivers coach Chris Jackson first refuted reports of him leaving the Jacksonville Jaguars for the same position with the Texas Longhorns, he’s officially accepted the job. The Jags will now look for potential replacements to fill the void Jackson left and former NFL wide receiver Chris Johnson has made it known he’s interested in the opening.

Johnson took to social media to express interest in becoming Jacksonville’s next wide receivers coach. He reacted to the news of Jackson joining the Longhorns with the emoji icon, implying it was newsworthy. This isn’t the first time the six-time Pro Bowl nod has targeted the job. Following the dismissal of Urban Meyer in 2021, he said on Twitter that he would like to join the Jaguars coaching staff. Similarly, he wanted to join Jacksonville as recently as 2017.

Known as Chad Ochocinco later in his NFL career, Johnson spent 10 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before joining the New England Patriots in 2011. Although he was a member of the Pats team that appeared in Super Bowl 45, he didn’t do much of note, hauling in 15 receptions for 276 yards with one touchdown in what turned out to be his last season in the league.

Johnson tried out for the Miami Dolphins in 2012 but didn’t make the team. Once his playing days in the NFL were over, he made appearances in the Canadian Football league and the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional de México. More recently he was part of Fox coverage in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Here’s Johnson’s reaction to Jackson’s departure.

Chad Johnson would bring expertise to the Jacksonville Jaguars

Johnson was one of the most productive and charismatic receivers in the 2000s. Known for his flamboyant celebrations, he finished his NFL career with 751 receptions for 10,783 yards with 66 touchdowns, so it’s fair to say he knows one thing or two about playing the position.

However, that doesn’t mean he will join the Jaguars coaching staff. He was a pretty good player but doesn’t have experience coaching, at least at the NFL level, so it’s highly unlikely that he will get a job by simply inquiring about it on social media.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt to ask but the best route to land a coaching gig in the NFL is applying for a quality control position, learning the ropes, and moving your way up. That’s where most assistants and coordinators start before they can get a promotion.

Christian Kirk and Zay Jones are coming off career years and the Jaguars’ brass will probably look for a wide receivers coach that can help them pick up where they left off last season. While they won’t probably rule Chad Johnson out but it’s hard to see him landing the job.