The Detroit Lions have made a change to their coaching staff under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing this week. But not a change that most likely expected.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Thursday the Lions are promoting Steve Oliver to tight ends coach.
Oliver has spent the past five seasons with the Lions. He served as assistant offensive line coach from 2023-25.
Oliver received a promotion to tight ends coach over Lions assistant tight ends coach Seth Ryan.
Oliver has been with Detroit for five seasons, including the past three as assistant offensive line coach.
Oliver is replacing Tyler Roehl, who was Detroit’s tight ends coach in 2025. Roehl departed this offseason to become Iowa State’s new offensive coordinator.
Roehl was previously on Iowa State’s offensive staff in 2024. The 2025 campaign with Detroit is his only coaching experience in the NFL.
Oliver began his coaching career at Montana State-Northern in 2016. He coached five years at the collegiate level before joining the Lions in 2021.
He will be Detroit’s first tight ends coach under Petzing, who the Lions hired as their new offensive coordinator on January 19.
Lions Promote Steve Oliver to TE Coach Under Drew Petzing
The Lions chose continuity with their tight ends role for 2026. However, the team could have had more consistency with the position group had it promoted Ryan.
Instead, Ryan appears to be staying in his assistant tight ends coaching role.
During his college coaching days, Oliver coached tight ends at Idaho in 2019 and San Diego State during 2020. Oliver played offensive line at San Diego State from 2011-15.
Oliver began his Lions tenure as the team’s offensive quality control coach in 2021. After two years in that role, he moved to assisting with the offensive line.
Ryan was in his first season as an assistant tight ends coach during 2025. He also came to Detroit in 2021 as an assistant wide receivers coach.
The 2021 campaign was Dan Campbell’s first with the Lions.
Ryan’s first NFL coaching job was with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019. He played wide receiver at Clemson from 2013-16.
Oliver’s biggest task will be getting Sam LaPorta back to playing at an All-Pro level in Detroit’s new offense this fall. LaPorta made second-team All-Pro as a rookie in 2023 but hasn’t received any post-season accolades since then.
In 2025, LaPorta posted 40 catches for 489 receiving yards and three touchdowns in nine games. LaPorta missed the second half of the season after aggravating a back injury during Week 10.
Lions TE Depth Entering 2026
LaPorta is the biggest star at tight end the Lions will have next season. Detroit, though, also has three other tight ends already under contract — Brock Wright, Thomas Gordon and Zach Horton.
Like LaPorta, Wright missed the end of the 2025 season because of injury. He is set to have a $4.73 million cap hit, which isn’t much in the grand scheme of things, but the tight end could be a cap casualty this spring.
The Lions could save $3.5 million against the salary cap by releasing Wright.
Such a move, though, would leave Oliver little depth at tight end. Gordon and Horton have combined to play only two games in their NFL careers.
So, in addition to helping LaPorta through his injury recovery, Oliver could be tasked with developing Gordon and Horton or another tight end the Lions could add this offseason.
Lions Making Surprise Coaching Change Under New OC Drew Petzing: Report