Make a list of NFL head coaches players would most want to play for, and Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is sure to be high on it; if not No 1. There are even former NFL players who would come out of retirement and play for Campbell if they could.
As a former player himself, and someone who was not a star so he had to earn everything over a notably longer than average career, Campbell understands the grind. Players appreciate and respond to that. Assembling a coaching staff filled with former NFL players has only helped foster that connection.
Some might take every opportunity possible to criticize Campbell, but he's not changing who he is and how he approaches things. Players notice that too.
George Kittle takes his turn to praise Dan Campbell
Ahead on Monday night's game between the Lions and the San Francisco 49ers, 49ers tight end George Kittle was asked for his impression of Campbell's coaching style.
“I think when you have a head coach who had played and the way that he played, too, was very gritty, kind of a nasty player but was beloved by all his teammates, I think it’s really easy to play for guys like that,” Kittle said of Campbell, via Grant Cohn of SI.com. “You can see all the clips in his original press conference, like ‘biting the knee caps’ and stuff like that, I think that while to people on the outside that might look funny, I think once you get to know him and find out that’s who he is, I think people love that."
"And, I think he seems like a really easy guy to play for, and he seems like a guy who they have hard practices, he makes them grind, makes them earn every second", Kittle continued. "But, you want people like that to hold you to a standard, and that’s a standard they’ve created and he’s created since they’ve been there. And, it’s very awesome to see the Lions have gotten to that.”
George Kittle on Dan Campbell. pic.twitter.com/GxZAGrung0
— Grant Cohn (@grantcohn) December 27, 2024
As alums of "Tight End U" (the University of Iowa), Kittle has a close relationship with Lions tight end Sam LaPorta. So the 49ers tight end likely has some insight about Campbell that comes from LaPorta, beyond his own outside perception of the Lions' head coach.
The Lions obviously don't have a need a tight end. But for those who like to reach to way out there, unrealistic levels and speculate, 2025 is the final year of Kittle's current contract.