The 2025 season did not go according to plan for the Detroit Lions. That led to a top-down assessment of everything by head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes, and some notable changes to the offseason agenda in an effort to refresh the tone around the team.
Campbell has taken over the offensive play-calling in the middle of two of his five seasons as Lions' head coach. Ben Johnson was promoted from within and had a good run for three seasons as the offensive coordinator, but Campbell is otherwise 0-for-2 when it comes to hiring that spot on his staff.
Hopefully Drew Petzing, the third external offensive coordinator hire, is the charm and Campbell can be focused on the entire on-field operation until further notice.
It's fair to say Campbell's stock as a head coach is the lowest it has been since the Lions started the 2022 season 1-6, when some people might have questioned his job status with four wins in 23 games. That conversation absolutely does not exist right now though, and it's a long way off if it ever truly comes again.
New ranking keeps Dan Campbell among top head coaches in the NFL
Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus has ranked the top-10 head coaches in the NFL heading into the 2026 season. Campbell having a place somewhere on the list isn't a complete shock, even coming off a disappointing 2025 season, but he landed at No. 5, behind only Sean McVay, Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan and Mike Macdonald.
"Unlike his esteemed peers, Campbell may not operate best as a play-caller. But his high-end decision making and culture cultivation are some of the foremost in the NFL."
"In 2021, Campbell inherited a Lions franchise that had made three playoff appearances in 21 seasons. Campbell, though, wasn’t fazed: After two slower years, he compiled a 27-7 record from 2023-24, including a trip to the NFC Championship Game. Even though last year was a disappointment, Campbell’s bunch still went 9-8 with the third-best overall PFF mark."
"Behind some bold picks from general manager Brad Holmes, the Lions have fostered one of football’s best young cores with Penei Sewell, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Aidan Hutchinson. Campbell has paired that talent with a league-leading 0.309 EPA per play and 59 conversions on fourth down over the last three campaigns. Such aggressiveness and immense player skill continues to make the Lions dangerous in both 2026 and the immediate future."
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Campbell's fourth down aggressiveness was once considered too much for a lot of people, and when it doesn't work he will still face a lot of criticism. But he has generally found a good balance to that aggression, and going for it on fourth down has now become normal. Last season, Detroit's 31 fourth down attempts were barely top-10 in the league.
Campbell is attempting to recapture the edge the Lions seem to have lost a little bit of last season. But his status as one of the most well-regarded head coaches in the league, in light of his entire resume, is (generally) untouched by last season's shortcomings.
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