Getty Dan Campbell coaches the Lions vs. the Eagles in 2022.
The Detroit Lions are trying to rebuild their fortunes on the field, and they’ve gone all-in on head coach Dan Campbell to do so.
Campbell has been one of the bright spots for the team in the last year in terms of his magnetic personality and style, and there are some signs that is making serious headway not only with the team but in league circles.
Another example of that came courtesy of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. On the New Heights podcast, the duo broke down Week 1 of the NFL and talked about the Lions.
Immediately, Kelce launched into a major bit of praise for Campbell and the Lions, and even admitted he wouldn’t mind playing for the coach one day.
“Not going to lie, after watching Hard Knocks I kind of became a fan of the Lions and some of the characters they got. Dan Campbell? Would love to play for him. Awesome guy,” Kelce said on the show.
The admission was a major one for the Lions, who have struggled in the past as a free agency destination. It shows that Campbell is succeeding in flipping the culture, and there is a positive vibe going on about the Lions right now.
Obviously, there is no denying Kelce’s talent at the tight end spot. He’s a Super Bowl winner, three-time first team All-Pro player and seven-time Pro Bowl selection. Statistically, he’s put up 58 career touchdowns.
Hearing the respect such a player has for Campbell and the Lions is big stuff, especially at this point of the team’s rebuild.
Jason Kelce Praises Lions for Play
In terms of someone who would know what the Lions were building from playing them on the field, Jason Kelce is a good example.
The center for Philadelphia, Kelce battled the Lion on the field during Week 1 and came away impressed by what he was able to see from the team on the field. As he said, nothing on camera is for show and the Lions are real about their goals.
“What they do on HBO backs up the type of team they’re trying to identify as. I mean they’ve got a coach who’s a tough-minded, hard-nosed coach and their team played that way obviously,” he said. “I mean, at one point we’re up 17 and you know you’re close to kind of breaking a will of a team but they fought to the end, very close to to beating us. I think if we don’t have Jalen Hurts in that game, they probably do beat us.”
Clearly, the Kelce brothers are all in Detroit’s corner in terms of believing in their turnaround. After playing the Lions on the field, there’s a thought that the rebuild is heading in a tangible direction.
Lions Could Use Hard Knocks as Recruiting Tool
While Kelce himself is currently under contract in Kansas City, his commentary makes a broader point. The Lions have a chance to change the narrative about them in a quick amount of time.
In the past, Detroit wasn’t seen an elite destination for football, but with Campbell and the team he is building, the hope is that will change. Hearing the words from some respected pros like the Kelce brothers only serves to prove how this could be the case.
After players saw what the Detroit culture was about on Hard Knocks, they might be intrigued to try it out. In the past, talented star players would laughably veto trades to the Lions. Maybe that won’t be happening anymore.
In the case of Kelce, it’s clear there is an intrigue there about Campbell’s magnetic personality.