Getty Anthony Lynn on the field with Amon-Ra St. Brown in training camp.
The Detroit Lions struggled in the 2021 season on the offensive side of the ball enough that a demotion occurred midseason with Anthony Lynn. Now that the year is finally set to finish, that demotion is going to be made official.
Lynn isn’t expected to be retained by the Lions and head coach Dan Campbell, and the sides are heading for a split this offseason as soon as Week 18 concludes. That’s according to a new report that surfaced just ahead of kickoff.
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On Sunday, January 9, NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport revealed that he had heard Lynn and the Lions were indeed poised for a split.
The #Lions and OC Anthony Lynn are expected to part ways following today’s game, sources say. One of the more respected leaders as a HC, it was never a good fit as OC for Lynn in Detroit. He had play-calling duties stripped earlier, and now both sides appear set to walk away.
“The Lions and OC Anthony Lynn are expected to part ways following today’s game, sources say. One of the more respected leaders as a HC, it was never a good fit as OC for Lynn in Detroit. He had play-calling duties stripped earlier, and now both sides appear set to walk away.”
It isn’t a surprise to see Lynn moving on considering the Lions essentially replaced him with Dan Campbell midseason and their offense didn’t look back. Lynn stayed on and should be praised for the classy way he handled a tough situation.
As for a replacement, the Lions could look outside the family at other names such as Ken Dorsey, Joe Brady and others, but Detroit could elect to keep someone like tight ends coach Ben Johnson and give him a major promotion.
Either way, the Lions will now be searching for a new coach.
Campbell Could Remain Lions’ Offensive Coordinator
The team improved down the stretch and made some big plays, and a big reasons has been the offensive plan they’ve had. Campbell has been a big part of that, but in spite of his improvements, the coach isn’t completely willing to commit to a return in the role no matter how comfortable he feels.
Speaking with the media on January 5, 2022 on a post at DetroitLions.com, Campbell talked about his feelings on the role and what his plan was. As the coach said, he doesn’t have an idea of what he wants to do just yet at the position.
“Honestly, I haven’t. I know I’m getting a lot more comfortable and I do feel like this is something I can do and be good at, but I’m not ready to commit to what I am going to do next year yet. I got to sit down and process all this at the right time,” Campbell said honestly when asked by the media.
The Lions could look outside the house or inside the house for a new coordinator. Additionally, Campbell could always elect to call the plays himself again, even though he isn’t completely sure that is something he wants to do.
Rumors Surfaced Midseason of Possible Lions Coaching Changes
Campbell took over play calling duties in Week 10 in the middle part of the year. With that in mind, more was revealed about the direction of the offense from CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora a few months back when the shift was made, and it was clear then that change could be on the menu once the 2022 offseason came.
In a piece discussing some of Detroit’s changes, La Canfora cited a team source that the shifts for the team were a long time coming. Offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn apparently struggled to mesh with quarterback Jared Goff, and there were apparently disagreements over how to run the offense, schemes and D’Andre Swift’s role according to La Canfora. As a result, there could be offseason changes looming, even if they won’t happen during the season.
As La Canfora also wrote, Campbell doesn’t figure as someone who wants a hands-on say on the offense moving forward in terms of play calling, so he could hire someone and defer that role again if a change is made. According to La Canfora’s sources, it would be “very surprising” to not see some additions or changes to the staff, perhaps especially with the Lions potentially in the market for a young quarterback in 2022.
Lynn has written off any differences with Campbell and his new role, but it seems clear that there could still be a staff shuffle this offseason based on what has happened.
Now, it looks as if that is going to be official very soon.
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