Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has been quite busy making changes to his coaching staff for the 2026 season.
Last week, Campbell brought Drew Petzing abroad to be Detroit’s offensive coordinator. And then on Tuesday, it was reported that former New York Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka would be joining the Lions’ offensive staff.
Petzing and Kafka should hopefully bring some new ideas to the Lions’ offense as they try to get back into the playoffs. In the meantime, Campbell shouldn’t rest on his laurels. He should look to add as much talent to his coaching staff as possible.
One possible option may have just become available in Tanner Engstrand, who spent the previous five seasons in Detroit before joining Aaron Glenn in New York to become the Jets' offensive coordinator. On Tuesday, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that Engstrand and the Jets are parting ways.
Over the weekend, it was rumored that Glenn could make a change at offensive coordinator. With Glenn cutting ties, the Lions could maybe bring Engstrand back as a tight ends coach, but Campbell could have some competition.
Ben Johnson Could Curveball into Lions’ Tanner Engstrand Reunion Plan
Who could also be in the running for Engstrand’s services, you might ask? None other than Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears.
If there’s anyone who knows what Engstrand is capable of as a coach, it's Johnson, who spent multiple years in the offensive coaching room in Detroit with the now-ex Jets OC.
Engstrand started his Lions’ coaching career as an offensive assistant in 2020 before being promoted to offensive quality control in 2021. After that, he was a tight ends coach/pass game coordinator in 2022. And for his last two years in Detroit, Engstrand had the title of pass game coordinator.
Looking at Chicago’s coaching staff, Johnson already has a pass game coordinator (Press Taylor) and a tight ends coach (Jim Dray). Chicago needs a running backs coach, but it's unlikely that Johnson would put Engstrand in that spot. However, Johnson could create another role for him if he believes it's the right call.
As for the Lions, we mentioned that they have a vacancy at tight ends coach with Tyler Roehl returning to Iowa State to become their offensive coordinator. But with Petzing taking over as the OC, he might want to bring his guy in to fill that spot.
We also didn’t factor in that Engstrand could find another OC job, as several teams are still trying to fill that position on their staffs. Needless to say, if the Lions want to entertain the idea of bringing Engstrand back into the fold, it won’t be so cut and dry.