Dan Campbell is slowly putting together his own coaching tree. Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn spread their wings to become head coaches of the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, and while they've experienced opposite levels of success, their journeys are just getting started.
Notably, other teams are keeping tabs on the Lions and their coaching staff. That's why, according to Lions insider Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, it wouldn't be shocking to see DC Kelvin Sheppard be the next one to leave.
"I continue to hear current Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard likely will be the next brand on Campbell's coaching tree [to get a HC job]. Sheppard had an excellent interview with the Miami Dolphins this winter, and while that job was Jeff Hafley's from the jump, he impressed enough people that he should be in the interview pipeline for several teams months from now," Birkett wrote.
The 2026 Campaign Might be Sheppard's Last Season with the Lions
Sheppard revealed that he was actually pretty close to landing the Dolphins' head coaching position this season. Even if that wasn't the case, the sole fact that he got that far along in the process shows that he might get another shot next season. He's a former player who knows how to communicate with today's stars, and with the league trending toward younger minds, along with his getting to learn from Coach Campbell, it makes sense that other teams are intrigued by him.
However, that's not the only reason why he might be on borrowed time in Detroit. His defense wasn't very good last season, and the team regressed from the Aaron Glenn era despite having virtually the same personnel.
The Lions allowed the 10th-most points per game last season (24.3). They also ranked in the bottom half in total yards (351.4, 19th) and passing yards (217.4, 20th), and gave up the 14th-most rushing yards per game (114.5). At least they had the 10th-lowest opposing third-down conversion rate (36.9), and their -7.4 percent defensive DVOA gives fans some hope for next season; they had to deal with a tough schedule.
However, that's just not good enough for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. There's no margin for error in Detroit anymore, and anything short of another deep postseason run could and should cost several people their jobs, including potentially Kelvin Sheppard.
Campbell has already shown that he won't hesitate to pull the plug when things aren't working out, just like he did by replacing OC John Morton with Drew Petzing. Sheppard needs to be at his best if he doesn't want to be next or, even better, leave because he'll get a team of his own.