Dan Campbell might be ready to retire his glasses.
You know the ones. The spectacles that Campbell sported once it was officially time for him to take over play-calling, and to signal to fans that it was a very serious business to be running the Lions' offense. Those are going back in the case and back into Campbell's office...for now.
With the hiring of Drew Petzing to be the team's next offensive coordinator, one question that likely immediately popped into Lions fans' minds was: is Dan Campbell still going to be calling plays with this hire? It's been a valid concern this hiring cycle, especially after Campbell told reporters he hadn't made up his mind about whether he'd be the play-caller in 2026.
Fear not, Lions fans: ESPN's Jeremy Fowler just quelled those concerns (for now) by sharing some intel about the Lions' hiring process this offseason:
This should be a playcalling job for new Lions OC Drew Petzing. The expectation during OC interviews is that Dan Campbell would relinquish playcalling for the new guy.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 19, 2026
Fowler quells Lions' fans concerns about play-calling duties
While this report should help to rebuke the thinking that Campbell didn't have too big of an impact on who the Lions could hire this offseason, it begs another question: if play-calling wasn't a huge thorn in Campbell's side in these interviews, why didn't the team lock up one of the many other coordinators they had already spoken to?
Mike McDaniel is the obvious name that comes to mind as a coordinator still available that Detroit could've made an offer to, but they also spoke to Mike Kafka and Zac Robinson. Why weren't they hires for the team if play-calling wasn't an issue? Well, we don't know what offers they had from other squads that might've been more attractive.
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Another point to consider: Campbell can, and will, take over play-calling if he feels it's necessary. We saw it already with John Morton's demotion this season, so what's guaranteeing that any other coordinator will get more autonomy than Morton if Campbell disagrees with how they're managing the offense?
Fowler's intel coming out after this hire seems like a nice way of carrying some water for the Lions' front office and for Campbell, since this hire was out of left field. Knowing, at least to start, that Petzing was hired for his play-calling as well as his game planning at OC should signal that the team wasn't hindered by Campbell's preferences, but Lions fans know better than that.
Campbell's glasses are off. But, they're not destroyed.