The Detroit Lions are coming off of the best regular season performance in franchise history after winning 15 of their 17 matchups, eclipsing the prior record of 12 wins with relative ease.
One of the reasons Detroit enjoyed such great success this past season was its two-headed monster at the running back position. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery were as good as it got in the NFL during the 2024 campaign, as the duo combined to gain 2,187 yards on the ground and 28 rushing touchdowns.
That dominance on the ground led to the team's offensive line coach/run game coordinator, Hank Fraley, having the opportunity to interview for the offensive coordinator position with the Seattle Seahawks. Fraley appreciated the opportunity to interview for such an in-demand role within the league, but quickly realized that his heart was in the Motor City, not Seattle.
Fraley was a 10-year NFL veteran as a center for the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and St. Louis Rams and started in 123 of the 142 games he appeared in. When you take that level of experience and combine it with the grit he had to enjoy a decade-long career as an undrafted free agent, he is the type of player-turned-coach that will immediately have the respect of every player on the offensive side of the ball.
With this experience interviewing for an offensive coordinator role, Fraley should only be a more effective position coach during the 2025 campaign. He's now been faced with the types of questions and decisions, despite being hypothetical in nature, that any successful offensive coordinator would have to navigate.
If the Lions continue to be as dominant on the ground as they were this past season, Fraley should only find more opportunities to move up the coaching ranks across the league. Fortunately, at least at this time, his heart is in Detroit and the Lions could not be happier about that.