The Detroit Lions are facing a pretty unique challenge this offseason. Just about every year, there are changes to an NFL team’s coaching staff, but it’s rare you see the mass exodus that the Lions are undergoing right now. This offseason, they became the fourth team since 1990 to see both coordinators leave for head coaching jobs. But that’s only half the story. Both coordinators have been poaching positional coaches to their new squads, and as of this publishing, six Lions coaches have left for other jobs, and there’s like a seventh coming soon:
- OC Ben Johnson — Bears head coach
- Assistant QB coach J.T. Barrett — Bears QB coach
- WR coach Antwaan Randle El — Bears WR coach/assistant head coach
- TE coach Steve Heiden — Jets OL coach
- DC Aaron Glenn — Jets head coach
- DL coach Terrell Williams — Patriots DC
The seventh being pass game coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who is the heavy favorite to become the New York Jets’ next offensive coordinator.
That’s seven coaches leaving, all of whom had very high reputations within the building. There’s even an eighth, which appears to be more of a parting of ways (ie: firing) than anything else. That’s a lot for any team to endure, and it’s understandable to expect a step back in efficiency on offense and/or defense, particularly after a 15-2 season.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
How concerned are you about the Lions’ coaching staff exodus?
My answer: Well, over at Pride of Detroit Direct, I dug into the past three teams that lost their coordinators in one offseason, and concluded the “brain drain” effect was mostly overstated. The 1994 49ers, 2004 Patriots, and 2022 Eagles all saw some level of success the next season, and all remained extremely relevant—if not great—in the years that followed. In short, talent still carries the most weight, and if you have a strong head coach, you can endure such change.
And, good news, the Lions will still have a bunch of talent. In fact, just four Lions players who started more than five games last year are set to become free agents in 2025 (Tim Patrick, Kevin Zeitler, Levi Onwuzurike, Carlton Davis), and I would expect the Lions to re-sign at least two of them. That means the majority of Detroit’s offseason resources can be spent on improving the roster, not just maintaining it.
As for a head coach that can navigate rough waters, is there anyone who has proven to be more capable of that than Dan Campbell? Whether it’s a lack of talent, injuries, or anything else that has been thrown at this team, Campbell has kept ship afloat. This team has lost talented coaches in the past (Duce Staley, Todd Wash) and Campbell has managed to find superb replacements (Scottie Montgomery, Terrell Williams). He’s already off to a strong start with DL coach Kacy Rodgers and offensive coordinator John Morton. Is he going to go seven-of-seven in finding the best replacements? Probably not. But there’s reason to believe he’ll hit on more than he’ll miss, and Detroit should be relatively fine.
So my concern level is just about a 3/10.
How about you?
