Getty Dan Campbell hugs Jared Goff after the Lions beat the Vikings in 2021.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has been strong amid a tumultuous first year for his team, and that is a fact that has earned him some major praise from his players.
No matter what’s happened, Campbell has led the Lions confidently, and that is a fact that wasn’t lost on the team’s other big personality Jared Goff.
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Goff came to Detroit in a new situation and quickly was impressed with Campbell’s leadership and attention to detail for the team. He also appreciated the kind of player’s coach he was and what he did to ensure that the Lions did not lose heart even amid a difficult year. Speaking in an interview with the media on January 5 posted to DetroitLions.com, Goff praised Campbell for his first-year work.
“I think just his steadiness in the midst of how poorly it went early on, especially how steady he was daily and how he showed up as the same person every day and there was never any wavering from him. That bleeds into the rest of the staff and ultimately the players and leaders on the team,” Goff explained to the media. “We needed that this year. He was the same guy every day, said the right things, did the right things. I thought he did a great job.”
Those traits are the mark of a solid coach, so for Campbell to show them already is a big feather in his cap for the future. As the Lions build, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 2021 experience pay dividends not only for their roster, but Campbell as well.
Goff: Lions ‘Found Out’ About Campbell During 2021
As a player who was making a transition to a new team, Goff was particularly aided by what Campbell brought to the table and his positive attitude daily. As he explained, the fact that Campbell was such a rock for the Lions was very notable, and something that helped him and the rest of his teammates in a big way.
“I think it helps everyone. You’re going through some adversity and you’re looking for that constant. He was that for us this year and ultimately myself and leaders on the team tries to be that way as well,” Goff explained. “He is the head coach and is able to speaks to the team everyday. I think you find out a lot about people during adverse situations and it doesn’t get more adverse than some of the stuff we went through this year. Found out a lot about him and it’s great.”
Now that Goff and the team know these good things about Campbell and have been through the wars and grind, it isn’t a stretch to say they will be better for it in a big way in 2022.
Campbell Locked Down for 2022 Season
Campbell has gotten rave reviews from his players, the fans and the media alike for his work with the team, and as a result, it isn’t a shock to hear that a hot seat for the coach doesn’t actually exist whatsoever as the 2021-22 season pushes to a close.
In recent weeks, folks have begun to ponder the future of Campbell, and as most understand, there isn’t much to ponder at all. Campbell is a virtual slam-dunk to return to the Lions in 2022, and it’s because of some of the goodwill he has built up within the fanbase and within the front office as well.
More of that was proven again in a piece by NFL.com reporter and NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. In the piece, Rapoport delves into the future of all the coaches in the league that could be on the hot seat, and Campbell comes up. For Detroit’s coach, however, the news is very good.
As Rapoport explains in the piece, Campbell along with New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh will both be safe this offseason because there have been promising signs for both this year, and each is a coach their team wants to build around for the future. Team sources of Rapoport thus confirmed that Campbell will not be on the move this offseason.
For the Lions, this clarity is huge. The team can now go about building around Campbell and trying to ensure the team has the right kind of offseason to make sure the coach is well-supported in the future.
It’s obvious things are already rock-solid in the locker room for Campbell and company.
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Jared Goff Praises ‘Steady’ Dan Campbell’s Leadership of Lions