The Detroit Lions were quick to make changes along the offensive staff, making Drew Petzing the offensive coordinator. After stripping John Morton of play-calling duties, the Lions needed to make sure they brought in a quality candidate, and it appears they did.
There's a lot of excitement around this move, and that is great news for receiver Jameson Williams. During the stretch when Morton called the plays, Williams finished with less than 50 receiving yards in five of the eight games.
But based on Jared Goff's comments around Petzing during the QBs time with the media at the Pro Bowl, that shouldn't be a problem.
"By no means is he going to be running our stuff," Goff said, via PrideOfDetroit.com. "We’re running his offense, but there’s going to be a certainly a blend of what I like, what he likes, what Saint [Amon-Ra St. Brown] likes, what Jamo [Jameson Williams] likes, and everybody.”
Goff added that this was a "home-run hire." It's clear these are exciting times for the Lions and will have a positive ripple effect on Williams in 2026.
Drew Petzing Hire Is Great News for Jameson Williams
Although Petzing is the main voice in the room, and the Lions will be running his offense, it'll be a collaborative approach. The fact that Williams will have a say in what he likes and excels at will have a positive impact on the field.
There seemed to be some disconnect when Morton was running the show, but that changed when Campbell took over. From Weeks 10-18, Williams recorded 44 catches, 762 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. Throughout this timeframe, he went over 70 receiving yards on seven separate occasions.
It was obvious that Campbell made it a priority to feature Williams in the game plan after he seemed to be more of a decoy to start the 2025 campaign.
Based on Goff's comments, that won't be the vibe around the Lions offense moving forward. Petzing wants input from his stars to use their strengths to the advantage of the offense. That kind of approach is wise on his end and should pay dividends down the road.
Sometimes, coaches feel they must force players to adapt to their scheme rather than adjusting to what their players are most comfortable with. There needs to be a balance between that mindset and crafting the game plans around your best players.
While it is still very early, it seems that Petzing is taking that approach. The Lions now have months to fine-tune this scheme, but Goff made it known that everyone will have a hand in the pot.