Anthony Lynn seems sure to be one-and-done as Lions offensive coordinator, so who could replace him for next season?
A struggling offense will always put scrutiny on the offensive coordinator, and Anthony Lynn has been no different in his first season with the Detroit Lions. Head coach Dan Campbell said he wanted to be more involved with the offense, and coming out of the Week 9 bye he took over play-calling duties in Week 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Lynn said all he really could say about losing play-calling duties.
"I don’t see it as a demotion,” Lynn said. “I’ve been in Dan’s shoes and if I was 0-8, hell, and I need to spark my team being an offensive guy, I probably would have done the same thing, to be honest with you, and I have. I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t agree with what he did,” Lynn said. “I thought it worked well. I thought we worked well together last week."
Firing Lynn in-season wouldn’t accomplish anything, and all indications are Campbell won’t be doing it. But Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports pointed to coaching staff changes likely to come after the season, with his reporting of Lynn struggling to connect with Jared Goff and citing sources who passed along “personality clashes.”
The Lions will surely have a new offensive coordinator in 2022. So who could replace Lynn?
5 candidates to replace Anthony Lynn as Lions offensive coordinator
5. Luke Getsy, Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator
Getsy is in his third season on the Packers coaching staff, and his second as passing game coordinator as well as quarterbacks coach. He’s been in Green Bay as an assistant coach going back to 2014, save for one season (2018) as offensive coordinator at Mississippi State.
There’s a head coaching opening at Akron, and according to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic Getsy has surfaced as a candidate for his alma mater (h/t to Acme Packing Company).
"Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy, a former Zips standout who led them to a MAC title, was in the final three to get the head coaching job last time. Would he be willing to leave the NFL now to return to his alma mater? He might be more inclined to keep rising up the NFL coaching ranks where he’s probably not far from getting offensive coordinator looks."
Getsy will certainly be someone teams looking for an offensive coordinator will have on their radar. If he doesn’t go back to Akron to take the head coaching job, and that possibility helps bump him down this list, the Lions should have him high on their list of candidates to replace Lynn.
4. Zac Robinson, Los Angeles Rams assistant quarterbacks coach
The Lions have shown some propensity to pluck from the Rams–general manager, quarterback, etc. Robinson is in his third season on the Rams’ coaching staff, and his second as assistant quarterbacks coach with a season as assistant wide receivers coach in between. The former Oklahoma State quarterback is on the coaching ladder under Sean McVay’s wing, while working with Matthew Stafford this year.
It would be quite a jump from assistant quarterbacks coach with three years of total coaching experience to an offensive coordinator post. But the Lions should leave no stones unturned when they look to replace Lynn.
3. Mike Kafka, Kansas City Chiefs quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator
Kafka is on the rise, in his fifth season on the Chiefs’ coaching staff and his second as passing game coordinator as well as quarterbacks coach. On his list of young coaches to watch this year, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero featured the former Northwestern signal caller.
"A fourth-round pick by Andy Reid’s Eagles in 2010 who bounced around the NFL as a quarterback for parts of six seasons, Kafka possesses innate leadership traits and has earned a strong reputation as a QB tutor since reuniting with Reid in Kansas City as a quality control coach in 2017. He was promoted when the Bears hired then-Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy in 2018 (the same year Patrick Mahomes took over as QB1), and the plan has been for Kafka to move up again to OC when Eric Bieniemy gets his head-coaching shot after so many interviews in recent years. That still hasn’t happened, and Kafka now is on the head-coaching radar himself. His Chiefs contract is also set to expire after the season, and he could end up elsewhere as a play-calling OC in 2022 if a head job doesn’t materialize."
Kafka is lined up for a promotion to offensive coordinator in Kansas City when Eric Bieniemy gets a head coaching job. But working on an expiring contract this year opens the door for him to leave, and if he wants to go somewhere he can call plays the Lions can offer that to him.
2. Ronald Curry, New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach
Curry is in his first season as the Saints’ quarterbacks coach. But he goes back to 2016 as an offensive assistant on Sean Payton’s staff (2018-2020 with the title of wide receivers coach), with two years on the San Francisco 49ers’ staff (2014-2015) before that.
Campbell was on the staff in New Orleans from 2016-2020 as tight ends coach and assistant head coach. So he presumably knows Curry pretty well, and would easily entrust his former colleague with the reins of the Lions’ offense.
1. Duce Staley, Lions running backs coach
Staley came to Detroit as running backs coach and assistant head coach this year after spending 10 seasons (2011-2020) on the Philadelphia Eagles’ coaching staff. He served as Eagles running backs coach from 2013-2020, adding the assistant head coaching title in 2018.
Staley has the look of a future NFL head coach. In the near-term he would be the natural internal candidate to replace Lynn, as he takes the next step to a proving ground of duties as an offensive coordinator and play caller. He may be fine staying in his current post, but the Lions won’t need to undertake a major search to replace Lynn if they can just promote someone who’s definitely worthy.
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