Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson doesn’t have a game this weekend, so he’ll take some time to interview for head coaching opportunities.

One of those conversations will come on Friday. According to multiple reports, Johnson will meet with the Patriots about the vacancy they created by firing Jerod Mayo a year after anointing him as Bill Belichick’s successor in New England.

Johnson’s interview will come a day after the Patriots meet with Mike Vrabel, although his interview will be virtual while Vrabel will be meeting in person. NFL rules mandate that coaches currently working for other teams can only meet remotely at this point in the process.

The Patriots have already fulfilled the Rooney Rule requirements, so they can hire a coach at any time. They’d have to wait a while before they could hire Johnson and we should have a better idea if that’s on the table come the weekend.