The Detroit Lions found their next voice of the offense, landing on Drew Petzing to fill their offensive coordinator vacancy.
At 38, Petzing will take over playcalling for one of the NFL’s top offenses. The Lions recently let go of John Morton after just one season as offensive coordinator. Petzing’s hiring is a surprise, as his name was not among the reported candidates, who included Mike McDaniel, Jake Peetz, Tee Martin, Zac Robinson, and Arthur Smith.
Petzing will join the Lions after serving as offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals since 2023.
With Petzing becoming the fourth offensive coordinator under coach Dan Campbell since 2021, here are five things to know about him as the Lions start a new chapter.
The Cardinals achieved historic rushing numbers while Petzing coached the offense
In his first two years calling plays for Arizona, the Cardinals had two of their best rushing seasons ever, with 2,365 yards in 2023 and 2,451 yards in 2024. Their 5.29 yards per carry in 2024 set a franchise record and ranked 16th all-time in the league.
Over those two seasons, the Cardinals were one of only two NFL teams to average at least five yards per carry.
Petzing’s offenses are not just focused on running; they also show good balance
In 2024, Arizona ranked 11th in the NFL for total yards with 6,090. That year, quarterback Kyler Murray had one of his most efficient seasons, throwing for 3,851 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, with a passer rating of 93.5. Running back James Conner added 1,094 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
Tight end Trey McBride made NFL history while playing in Petzing’s offense.
In 2024, McBride caught 111 passes for 1,146 yards, which is the fourth-most catches by a tight end in NFL history. He was also the first tight end to have back-to-back games with at least 12 catches, and the first to do it three times in one season.
Petzing has a connection to Ben Johnson, former Lions offensive coordinator, who is now the Bears’ head coach
Although they never worked together, Petzing and Johnson are close friends—Petzing was a groomsman in Johnson’s wedding. It’s likely they talked about what it’s like to coach in Detroit under Campbell.
Petzing played a key role in developing two receivers during his time in Minnesota
As the Vikings’ wide receivers coach in 2019, Petzing helped Stefon Diggs reach a career-high 1,130 yards, averaging 75.3 yards per game. In 2017, as an assistant receivers coach, he helped Adam Thielen earn Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors with 91 catches for 1,276 yards and four touchdowns.
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