With Drew Petzing's arrival as Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, skepticism is rampant among the fanbase. But when he had a healthy set of players to work with when he was Arizona Cardinals' offensive coordinator, that offense was pretty good.
To fully implement his offense, particularly his favoritism toward using multiple tight ends, Petzing may vouch for players he has history with as the Lions' lay out an offseason plan. And when it comes down to it, Petzing should have a strong voice on that front.
Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes lean toward players who "fit us" intangibly. But it's not an overstatement to say Petzing's success as offensive coordinator next season is important for Campbell.
If he has to hire a third offensive coordinator in as many years 11-12 months from now, and it's not due to Petzing leaving for a head coaching job, the exalted status of the Lions' head coach may start to change.
1 player has been hiding in plain sight as possibility to follow Drew Petzing to Detroit
Jared Goff has been very durable over the course of his career, and he has not missed a start since his first season with the Lions. But if something were to ever happen to him, we should be reminded of what former Indianapolis Colts assistant coach Tom Moore told Jon Gruden back in the day about why Peyton Manning didn't cede any practice snaps to his backups.
Kyle Allen proved to be a fine addition as Goff's backup last offseason, but of course he also hardly played. If Allen had to start any games, as would be the case for most teams if they had to turn to their backup, the Lions would be the profanity Moore offered to Gruden.
Tapping into Petzing's roots, a free agent backup quarterback who has been hiding in plain sight for years would be an unignorable upgrade. Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports has brought him to light.
"Jacoby Brissett makes a lot of sense for the Detroit Lions"
As Payton noted, Brissett has notable history with Petzing. Upon taking over for the injured Kyler Murray in Arizona this past season, making 12 starts, the veteran journeyman played the best football of his career.
Brissett also made 11 starts for the Cleveland Browns in 2022, with Petzing as his position coach.
READ MORE: Drew Petzing hire could make a new free agent an obvious target for Lions
Brissett is under contract with the Cardinals for 2026, but with a new head coach coming in he is a prime trade or cut candidate with his cap hit ballooning to over $9 million.
The Lions should have an eye on Brissett's looming availability, ideally after the Cardinals cut him and they can name their price to sign him. Besides anywhere he could go to start, and what would the quality of those teams be?, Detroit should have a lot of appeal to him when he seeks his next team.
Years after Holmes talked about the No. 2 quarterback spot being a "point of emphasis", it's time to actually make it one and bring someone of Brissett's ilk in behind Goff. And with the tie to Petzing, it can just be Brissett himself as he nears the exit door in Arizona.