Detroit Lions: Is this a do or die season for Jim Caldwell?

Since 2014, Jim Caldwell has been the Detroit Lions head coach. But if he fails to make the playoffs is his job in jeopardy?

It’s getting tougher and tougher to argue that Jim Caldwell isn’t one of the best coaches in Detroit Lions history. That’s not saying much, but as you probably know, the Lions don’t have the brightest history. But 2017 should be a huge season for him, as a bad year will probably result in the loss of his job.

In his first three seasons as the Lions’ coach, Caldwell has done a lot to push the team forward. He’s 27-21 in those three years, along with getting the Lions into the playoffs in two of those seasons. Though he still hasn’t won a playoff game in Detroit, getting to the playoffs wasn’t normal before Caldwell came to town.

So why is it that I think Caldwell might be in his final season? Because I’m not so sure this team makes the playoffs this year. And for a team that features a lot of young talent, and a top tier quarterback, they should be able to at least make it into the playoffs again.

And I get that missing the playoffs shouldn’t be enough to fire a coach, but Caldwell isn’t general manager Bob Quinn’s man anyway. When Quinn took over before last season, he chose to keep Caldwell around instead of bringing in his own group. If Quinn really wants to help his case as a great GM, he’s going to need to pick the right guy next.

Next: Top Five Video Game Detroit Lions of All Time

The clock is ticking with this team. An NFL season flies by, (and a long offseason keeps reminding me of that.) Matthew Stafford is in his prime and who knows how long that will last. And players like Golden Tate, Ziggy Ansah, and Glover Quin aren’t getting any younger either. Teams only have so long before they have to rebuild again. So I’d be stunned if Detroit stuck around with Caldwell if he can’t get over the next hump.