Detroit Lions: Five Questions to Consider During the Offseason

Aug 15, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin during the game against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

2. Will Teryl Austin Stay Or Go?

Detroit’s revived defense was a major story in 2014, and as a result, Austin grabbed his share of the headlines. Now, he’s getting his share of the credit, as teams line up to interview him for their head coaching vacancies.

As of Tuesday, Austin has two main suiters he’ll interview with in the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers. Count the Buffalo Bills as interested too. What Austin decides to do could have a huge impact on the team. If he goes, suddenly, the Lions will have to replace him with someone else from the inside or out, and may take another step back defensively from the dominance they showed last season.

Should Austin decide to stay, however, the Lions will gain an all-important second year in a system that helped them flourish initially. That could be important news for the future, even if Austin does decide to become a head coach somewhere else eventually.

Professionally, Austin’s in a nice spot. If none of the jobs interest him enough or have enough interest in him, he can always stay where he’s needed most, let his star rise a bit more and wait for a perfect opportunity down the road.

Next: Time to retire?