The Detroit Lions were able to fill in their hole at offensive coordinator when they hired Drew Petzing. The move wasn't the one fans were expecting as names like Mike McDaniel and Brian Daboll were available, but the Lions felt Petzing was the right choice and moved quickly to lock down a deal with him.
And based on the information regarding Petzing that has come out since the report, it seems like Lions may have made a fantastic hire. Of course, nothing can be judged until they play games, but the early returns around Petzing are positive.
Lions Decision to Hire Drew Petzing Looks Better by the Day
Back in 2020, former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski hired Petzing to be his tight ends coach and provided some high praise for the coach. Stefanski said, via Al Karsten of Pride of Detroit. "I think he's one of the smartest coaches I've been around. I say that because he coached defense in college, he's moved to the offensive side of the ball, been in the running backs room, the wide receivers room, the quarterbacks room. I think that type of breadth of experience is really important as you're developing as a young coach. I think anybody who has been around him sees somebody that has a great knowledge of the game."
Petzing has made his rounds around the league, learning from several coaches. That list includes Norv Turner, Pat Shurmur, Gary Kubiak, Bill Callahan, Ben Johnson, Shane Steichen, Klayton Adams, Hank Fraley, and Stefanski.
Peter Schrager of ESPN also pointed out that Petzing is a respected offensive mind around the league and had some HC buzz when he had healthy quarterback play in Arizona.
In addition, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown spoke about the hiring on his podcast. St. Brown stated, "Do you guys have no trust in Dan (Campbell)? Do you think they'd just hire a random dude?"
St. Brown added that fans are too quick to pass judgment on a hire before letting things play out. And based on those comments, he seems to trust in Campbell's vision for this offense and likes the choice they made. That, in combination with all the other positive info that has come out regarding Petzing, makes it appear that the Lions could have landed on a bright mind.
During his time with the Cardinals, they had an effective running attack before being slammed by injuries in the backfield in 2025. In 2023, Arizona ranked fourth in rushing offense (139.1) and second in yards per carry (5.0). The success carried over to the 2024 season, with Arizona ranking seventh in rushing offense (144.2) and second in yards per rush (5.3).
Not only did they have an efficient ground game, but Trey McBride developed tremendously, making this addition that much more exciting for Lions tight end Sam LaPorta.
At first, Detroit fans may not have been excited by the hiring, but as the dust has settled, it looks like they made a smart decision to bring on Petzing. He has a nice resume, coached under multiple successful coaches, and clearly has a plan for this offense.
Only time will tell but there are some things to be excited about.