We can speculate all we want ahead of the 2026 season actually kicking off, but we simply won't know what to make of new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing until Week 1 of the regular season.
The former Arizona Cardinals OC helmed an offense that didn't have nearly as many stars as this current Detroit Lions offense has, but Petzing still managed to make some things shake regardless. Their run game was potent at times, and it was clear that he knew how to utilize their offensive line to the best of their ability to unlock that ground game.
Obviously, there's only so much you can do with a team with a floor like the Cardinals had, and have. But, with Detroit, the limit feels endless - and, that's what makes his injection onto this staff feel a little scary. The Athletic's Mike Jones recently spoke to that unknown around Petzing and the Lions in a piece where he asked questions to every team with new coordinators for 2026.
"The real question involves Petzing’s ability to help re-ignite the attack despite having directed only middle-of-the-pack units in Arizona after serving as a position coach in Cleveland."
Is Petzing the right man for the job with Lions?
To Jones' point, Petzing might not have been the flashiest hire for the Lions to have made. Mike McDaniels was one of the "big fish" available this offseason after he was let go by the Miami Dolphins, but he opted to walk for the AFC West and the Los Angeles Chargers, instead.
It never seemed like the Lions were seriously interested in him, though - maybe it's because Dan Campbell likes to be the one calling the final shots, and McDaniel's former time as a head coach might've impeded Campbell's path in that respect.
Or, maybe it's because the Lions genuinely loved what Petzing brought to the table in his interviews, which does seem to be the case from initial reports on the hire:
"But (Petzing) is just very sharp, very bright, just really liked his attention to detail," Holmes said. "He was very well recommended, all the vetting that we did. I mean, all the sources couldn't speak highly enough about him. And just kind of just really liked what his philosophy was behind the offensive football and how he utilized personnel. So, it just, he just checked all the boxes, man. So we were we were excited about him."
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To push back on Jones' question and implication here, Petzing's under-the-hood work with the Cardinals is underrated. They were a top team in explosive run plays over his tenure, and they ran the ball extremely well prior to injuries devastating their offensive line and running back room.
On top of that, their quarterback room was in constant flux with injuries to Kyler Murray and others, whereas Jared Goff has become quite the ironman at the position.
With a revamped O-line, Jahmyr Gibbs still in tow, and some of the top pass catchers in the NFL sitting on the roster, Petzing has to feel like a kid in a candy store. It doesn't feel likely that he'll somehow regress, and not excel, with a far better roster at his disposal than what he had in Arizona.
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