This is going to be a very quiet kickoff to the offseason for the Detroit Lions. Following a teams-worth of injuries in 2025, Detroit has opted for a lighter offseason program approach - they've cancelled all joint practices for 2026, and there was no rookie camp for their incoming draftees.
So, it's hard not to notice when two Lions coaches are tabbed for the NFL's accelerator program, which is being held in Orlando, Florida this coming week. Pass game coordinator Mike Kafka and pass game specialist David Shaw will both be in attendance at the program.
Multiple big-name offensive coordinators, like Miami's Mike McDaniel, Kansas City's Eric Bieniemy, and Jacksonville's Grant Udinski, are also going to be in attendance.
But, what is this accelerator program? And, how were Kafka and Shaw selected to participate this year?
NFL accelerator program adds two Lions coordinators for 2026 meeting
Each year since 2022, the NFL's Front Office and Coaching Accelerator Program has been a method for the league to identify and train up coaches and front office members with diverse backgrounds who may be up for promotions or hirings in the next five years.
While the focus and intent of the program prior to 2026 was to hone in on candidates from within the NFL's ecosystem who were not white, this year will be the first year of the program's existence where white coaches and executives will be invited to participate. The program was also on pause in 2025.
This choice to expand the nomination pool, which comes off a really bad cycle for hiring non-white coaching candidates, is a bit surprising, but it makes the addition of Kafka to this program make more sense.
Teams nominate candidates for the program, who are then vetted and finalized by a selection committee that includes at least one head coach and one general manager. The intent of the two-day program is to train emerging talent for larger roles, which would indicate that the Lions expect to see Shaw and Kafka rise up in the ranks either within their organizational chart or in another teams' organization.
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Shaw had previously interviewed for a vacant offensive coordinator role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but remained with the Lions for their 2026 season. Kafka also interviewed for the Lions' open OC role, but landed a job with them just a step below Drew Petzing for this season. Kafka had previously been the interim head coach for the New York Giants.
Detroit has bred some seriously great coaching talent in recent years, with their most recent examples being Aaron Glenn moving on to coach the New York Jets and Ben Johnson becoming the Lions' foil with the Chicago Bears.
The Lions have to have some concern about just how well their coaches tend to do in hiring cycles in recent years, with Johnson getting poached by the Bears a hugely repetitive thorn in the teams' side. But, it's a huge testament to their developmental program, not just on the player side, but with their staff and front office.
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