After failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2022, the Detroit Lions could look slightly different in 2026 on the field and on the sidelines.
Last week, to no one’s surprise, the Lions parted ways with offensive coordinator John Morton after one season. Detroit will be looking for another answer at offensive coordinator as they clearly struggled without Ben Johnson during the 2025 campaign.
As for the defensive side of the ball, Kelvin Sheppard is still employed as the defensive coordinator heading into the offseason. However, the first-year coordinator is garnering some attention for a potential head coaching position.
On Monday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Miami Dolphins have requested to speak with Sheppard for their vacant head coaching position. The Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel last week after four seasons with the team.
The 38-year-old Sheppard actually played for the Dolphins (2014, 2015) during his eight-year NFL career and is reportedly viewed as a rising young coach in the league, per Jordan Schultz.
Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard Lands First Head Coaching Interview with Dolphins
Despite how the season played out for the Lions, Sheppard did not do a bad job in his first year calling the shots on defense in the Motor City. He just got unlucky with injuries in the secondary.
This season, the Lions were ranked fifth in sacks (49), 20th in passing yards allowed (217.4 per game), 14th in rushing yards allowed (114.5 per game), and 22nd in scoring defense (24.3 points per game).
It’s not a bad starting point for the young defensive coordinator, who should be even better in his second year with a healthy secondary and hopefully more options at his disposal to get after the quarterback.
That said, Sheppard getting this head coaching interview opportunity is quite notable, even if he doesn’t get hired by the Dolphins. This year’s coaching carousel features several big names and solid coordinators who could find themselves in head coaching positions.
Sheppard, who began his coaching career as an outside linebacker and linebackers coach, now finds himself on the NFL’s highest radar.
The former NFL linebacker might not leave this offseason, which is good news for Campbell, who lost both coordinators last year. However, if the Lions’ defense can take another step in 2026, we could be talking about Sheppard in the same way as Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.