How concerning is the Detroit Lions’ coaching staff turnover this offseason?
The Detroit Lions are facing an unusual challenge this offseason. While coaching staff changes are common in the NFL, it’s rare to see the mass departure the Lions are currently experiencing. This offseason, the Lions became the fourth team since 1990 to lose both their coordinators to head coaching roles. But that’s only part of the picture. Both coordinators have taken positional coaches with them to their new teams, and by the time of this writing, six Lions coaches have left for other positions, with a seventh expected to follow:
- OC Ben Johnson — Bears head coach
- Assistant QB coach J.T. Barrett — Bears QB coach
- WR coach Antwaan Randle El — Bears WR coach/assistant head coach
- TE coach Steve Heiden — Jets OL coach
- DC Aaron Glenn — Jets head coach
- DL coach Terrell Williams — Patriots DC
The seventh is pass game coordinator Tanner Engstrand, who is the leading candidate to become the New York Jets’ offensive coordinator.
That’s seven key coaches leaving, all with strong reputations within the organization. There’s also a potential eighth, which seems more like a mutual separation (or firing) than anything else. This significant turnover is understandably concerning, and it’s reasonable to anticipate a dip in both offensive and defensive performance, especially after a strong 15-2 season.
So, here’s the Question of the Day:
How worried should we be about the Lions’ coaching losses?
My take: Over at Pride of Detroit Direct, I researched the last three teams that lost both coordinators in one offseason, and I found that the “brain drain” effect was largely overstated. The 1994 49ers, 2004 Patriots, and 2022 Eagles all found success the following season and remained highly competitive in the years that followed. In short, talent matters most, and with a solid head coach, such turnover can be managed.
Fortunately for the Lions, they still have plenty of talent. Only four Lions players who started more than five games last year are set to hit free agency in 2025 (Tim Patrick, Kevin Zeitler, Levi Onwuzurike, Carlton Davis), and I expect at least two of them to return. This means the Lions can focus most of their offseason efforts on improving the roster, rather than just keeping it intact.
As for a head coach who can handle adversity, is there anyone better suited than Dan Campbell? No matter what challenges have come his way—whether it’s talent shortages, injuries, or anything else—Campbell has kept the team afloat. The Lions have lost talented coaches before (like Duce Staley and Todd Wash), but Campbell has consistently found strong replacements (such as Scottie Montgomery and Terrell Williams). He’s already made promising hires in DL coach Kacy Rodgers and offensive coordinator John Morton. Will he go seven-for-seven in finding the best replacements? Probably not, but there’s good reason to believe he’ll succeed more often than not, and the Lions should be just fine overall.
My level of concern is around 3 out of 10.
How about yours?
How about you?
