The Detroit Lions didn't meet expectations in the 2025 season, but there are high hopes that the franchise can turn things around given some advantages coming down the pipe in 2026.
Not only have the Lions beefed up some of the holes on their roster, they could be the beneficiaries of a poor finish last season by way of their last-place schedule this season. While they play in a tough division, it's also possible the NFC North didn't improve dramatically enough to tip the scales.
Even though the Lions have been successful for the last few seasons, have they truly reached their goals? Detroit has won a pair of division titles and has a pair of playoff wins to their credit, but have also fallen short of the Super Bowl a pair of times and don't have trophies in the case to back up their success.
With this in mind, it's possible this season represents a pressure point for the Lions. There's pressure for the franchise to start to score bigger wins relative to how much they have on the roster, and that means Dan Campbell might start to feel heat if goals aren't reached.
Fox Sports commentator Mark Schlereth, a former offensive lineman in the league who has three Super Bowl rings, explored what coordinators might be under the most pressure this season on "The Stinkin Truth Podcast." As he said, the heat might be on Campbell the most given he needs to prove he can hire the proper coordinator.
"There's no question the pressure is on Dan Campbell. I still think they're one of the most talented rosters in football. I think Jared Goff is a top five or six quarterback in the NFL. I think Penei Sewell is one of the most talented, if not the most talented offensive lineman in football. When you talk to Campbell about it, he'll tell you, not only is he the most talented lineman, he's the best football player on the team."
"You get Jameson Williams as a wide receiver, you talk about (Jahmyr) Gibbs at running back, you talk about their tight end, they have a ton of offensive weapons. Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in football, does the dirty work, is tough (and) sets the tone. He reminds me back in the day of guys who set the tone at wide receiver like Steve Smith. Hines Ward set the toughness tone for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Get down, do the dirty work, make tough catches inside, set up key blocks. So, you've got offensive weaponry."
Obviously, Campbell made a savvy move in promoting Ben Johnson to coordinate the offense in 2022, but it's fair to remember he had originally hired Anthony Lynn to the same job and had to pull the plug midseason in his first year. The same thing happened after Johnson left and John Morton took the reigns as coordinator in 2025.
Campbell has plenty of goodwill in Detroit given how he has turned the Lions around, but it's true given what he is working with on his roster there is immense pressure to get this decision right. The Lions should be a major contender in the NFC, and if they don't end up that way, it could be another situation that proves he struggles to hire coordinators.
Schlereth likes Lions' move to hire Drew Petzing as OC this offseason
While the pressure might be on Campbell to prove he knows how to steer the ship effectively, it's possible it might only be a matter of time until he is able to show that he understood the mission this offseason.
Fortunately for him, the Lions have made a solid move to hire Petzing, the former offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals, in Schlereth's mind. After watching up close the last few years, Schlereth thinks that Petzing will be a great hire for the Lions and be able to run the offense relative to the horsepower they have on the roster.
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"I think Drew Petzing is a guy that is a really good play caller, comes from a really good system, really understands the NFL, and is a guy to me that is going to have success with all the weapons and a quarterback that can execute on schedule. I think it'll be a breath of fresh air for Drew and and his time in Detroit. I think this is a really good hire by Dan Campbell of a guy that really understands offense that just really didn't necessarily click because of the nature of the quarterback and the offset nature of the offense in Arizona."
Until the season begins, Lions fans will be hoping for Petzing to be the best hire that Campbell has made since Johnson. The early reviews are good, and that's great news for Detroit. The franchise badly needs stability at a key coaching spot, and it will be craving that in a big way.
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