The Detroit Lions have to seek out some actual help at offensive coordinator this offseason after their promotion of John Morton did not go as planned. Head coach Dan Campbell knows this, and fans who watched the offense struggle for much of the season with a lack of creativity at play-calling know this.
That's why the latest name to hit the coaching market, Kliff Kingsbury, should make some Lions fans at least a bit curious. Kingsbury parted ways "mutually" with the Washington Commanders after the team failed to make the postseason, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Pelissero added in his report that Kingsbury is likely to seek out a head coaching role, but could also be a great candidate for open OC jobs around the league. The Lions would be silly not to at least request an interview with Kingsbury, who worked magic with Jayden Daniels in 2024 and helped Washington bounce Detroit from the postseason that year.
Kingsbury should get a call from Lions about open OC role
Kingsbury is likely to get some calls from the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Giants about their open head coaching spots, with the Giants potentially being the most attractive of the three since they seem to have the surest idea at quarterback between these clubs.
Kingsbury was a name also mentioned last season for the open OC role for the Browns, but that never materialized. Perhaps a return to that table makes the most sense, in that case.
But, Detroit would be ridiculous not to try and see if he'd be interested in coaching one of the NFL's top offenses from 2025 - and, that's despite their struggles in the trenches and with early-season chemistry building between Jared Goff and Morton.
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Kingsbury would have a field day with weapons like Jameson Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, and David Montgomery at his disposal. And, assuming the team works on shoring up their offensive line, he should have an easier time scheming for that core.
Campbell told reporters on the Monday following Week 18 that he wanted to take the week to evaluate his staff and figure out what he wanted to do as it pertained to the OC and DC positions. Brad Holmes is also set to speak to media on Thursday, so we should get an even clearer idea of the type of turnover fans should expect on the staff this offseason.
Kingsbury should be one of many candidates the Lions consider to interview at OC this offseason, and he could possibly be the best available.