The Detroit Lions are hoping to see better days after missing the playoffs in 2025, and one of the biggest questions is how they would find more rhythm in their offense. The first step in the process happened shortly after the season ended, when they fired offensive coordinator John Morton and replaced him with Drew Petzing, who held the same position with the Arizona Cardinals for the past three seasons.
While Petzing is a polarizing hire, the Lions made another addition to their offensive staff on Monday, agreeing with former New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka “in a high-ranking offensive staff role,” per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Although the duo of Petzing and Kafka will oversee the offense next season, it may mean that someone has to go, with the most likely candidate being passing game coordinator David Shaw.
Lions Hiring Mike Kafka to Do What David Shaw Couldn’t in 2025
Shaw was one of the Lions' 2025 additions that came over when Morton joined the staff last January. When speaking to reporters a few months later, Campbell mentioned that the former head coach at Stanford was brought in to cover Morton’s “blind spots” and provide another voice in the room to help the unit after Ben Johnson departed to become head coach of the Chicago Bears.
“Listen, that was a big one too for us,” Campbell said via Sports Illustrated’s Christian Booher. “Look, he and Johnny go way back now, way back. They both really cut their teeth under Jon Gruden years ago. I don’t know if everybody quite knows, Coach Shaw’s got a wealth of experience. You think of Stanford first, because that’s where he spent a ton of time, successful coach.
“But man, he came from the league. He’s been in this league. He understands football; that’s what he is, he’s a football guy. He’s gonna bring things to Johnny. His blind spots, he’s gonna cover his blind spots. That’s what he’s gonna be looking for.”
While the theory sounded good in context and helped Goff throw for 4,564 yards, 34 touchdowns with eight interceptions, the offense never seemed to get going. The unit had issues getting the ball to playmakers consistently, eventually forcing Campbell to step in and call plays midway through the season.
Those events not only make it seem like Shaw isn’t on solid ground heading into next year, but may reveal the reason why Kafka was brought in. Petzing didn’t have much success in Arizona, so adding Kafka may be the additional voice to keep things balanced and ensure things don’t go haywire again.
Shaw still has some connections around the NFL, interviewing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator position before they decided on former Atlanta Falcons OC Zac Robinson. But it appears wherever he lands, it may not be in Detroit, and it could be on Kafka to do what Shaw couldn’t do for Morton last season.