Following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL season for the Detroit Lions, which unfortunately didn’t result in a playoff spot for the first time since 2023, they decided to part ways with offensive coordinator John Morton.
This wasn’t an unexpected move, as Morton had his play calling duties stripped by head coach Dan Campbell midway through the season.
While the Lions were one of the heavy favorites to land former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as their new offensive coordinator, general manager Brad Holmes ultimately decided to go in a different direction.
The Lions hired Drew Petzing, who had spent the last three seasons in the same role with the Arizona Cardinals, as the official replacement for Morton.
There were more than a few fans of the Lions who weren’t exactly familiar with Petzing’s body of work, but Holmes is attempting to reassure fans of their ground.
“Just very sharp, very just open-minded, was able to fit in with the staff,” Holmes explained of why Petzing was hired. “Knew some people on the staff already, but look, it’s his offense. It’s not something where he’s got to do something else or be like — this is his show, man. So we just felt like it was the best fit for us.”
“I mean, look, it’s his offense,” Holmes said. “And a lot of it is, what I liked about him is that it’s not a system. … It’s what you do you have, what’s the personnel that you have? Like, what can we do? And so that’s what I think he showed us in that process is that he can maximize personnel of what’s available. So that’s real exciting.”
____________________________________________________________
The Detroit Lions Also Hired Mike Kafka In An Offensive Assistant Role
In addition to Petzing, the Lions also hired former New York Giants interim coach Mike Kafka for a yet-to-be-determined role on the offense.
“We were really high on Kafka, too, in the process and so to be able to get that one, too, I was just like, ‘Holy cow,’” Holmes said. “So, very, very happy.
“But [Petzing is] just very sharp, very bright, just really liked his attention to detail. He was very well recommended, all the vetting that we did. I mean, all the sources couldn’t speak highly enough about him, and just kind of just really liked what his philosophy was behind the offensive football and how he utilized personnel. So, it just, he just checked all the boxes, man. So we were we were excited about him.”
____________________________________________________________
Drew Petzing Is The New Detroit Lions Offensive Coorindator
Petzing arrives in Detroit having previously spent the last three years with the Arizona Cardinals in the same role.
During his time with the Cardinals, he helped lead them to a second overall ranking in rushing average (4.92) and a ninth overall ranking in rushing yards (6,399). He’d previously worked with the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings.
While Morton had expressed a willingness to remain with the Lions in any capacity, both Campbell and Holmes decided to move in a new direction.
Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes Reveals Why He Hired Drew Petzing