. Reed got toasted on one of the plays that sold Dan Campbell on Reed as a fit for the Detroit Lions defense.

 

“They’re playing, it was early in the year, it was crossover tape,” Campbell said Tuesday at the NFL’s annual spring meeting. “He got beat on the play. He actually got beat. And to watch him put his foot in the ground, kind of stumble out from one of the rare times you get beat, but you get beat at corner, right? That’s part of this league.

 

“He gets beat, he puts his foot in the ground and I mean he is on an all out. He doesn’t have time to think about it, recover. He’s just on a beeline to try to angle this guy off. And I thought that was one of the most impressive things, man. This guy, he doesn’t go in the tank. He’s not worried about what it looks like. He’s just trying to compete and win and he lines up and goes back for more. And that says it all.”

 

Denver Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton has a pass knocked away by New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium, Sept. 29, 2024 in East Rutherford, N.J.

The Lions signed Reed to a three-year, $48 million contract at the start of free agency to be their No. 1 cornerback after Carlton Davis III left to sign with the New England Patriots.

 

Reed had 11 pass deflections in 14 games with the New York Jets last season and has started the vast majority of his seven-year NFL career as an outside corner.

 

He projects to play that position with the Lions this fall, opposite of second-year cornerback Terrion Arnold, in a secondary that returns four of five starters. Arnold made 15 starts, had 10 pass deflections and led the league in pass interference penalties as a rookie. Amik Robertson played as the Lions’ primary slot cornerback before moving outside because of an injury to Davis late in the year. And the Lions have one of the best safety tandems in the NFL in Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.

 

Campbell shared his thoughts on Reed and the Lions’ other top free agent additions, defensive tackle Roy Lopez and linebacker Grant Stuard, on Tuesday and said all three will have roles as “competitive, productive players” who “don’t back down from anybody” on the Lions defense.

 

“Let’s start with Reed, man,” Campbell said. “He’s got coverability. He can play man-to-man, start there, but then he’ll bite on the perimeter. He’ll come up, he’ll tackle, he’ll squeeze the edges. And then when you see him in press man, he challenges. He’s not giving you free releases. Now, he’ll mix it up and then he’ll challenge you at the catch point. Man, he’s feisty, he’s competitive.”

 

Like Reed, Campbell said Lopez caught his attention in a game that others might have looked at through a different prism.

 

Oct 13, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Indianapolis Colts linebacker Grant Stuard (41) during pregame warmups against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Lions ran for 187 yards in a Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals last season, when Campbell said he was impressed with Lopez’s play on a three-tackle day.

 

“I mean, him going against Frank (Ragnow) all day,” Campbell said. “We ran the heck out of the ball, but man, that guy held his own now and we got a pretty damn good center. So that was impressive, that among others.”

 

Lopez projects to play mostly a two-down role this fall on the Lions’ defensive line, where he’s expected to help cover for the absence of the injured Alim McNeill early in the year.

 

“He’s a down and dirty,” Campbell said. “Doesn’t mean he can’t play third down, but he lives in base a lot, man. He’s taking on the double teams, he’s keeping people off the backers. He can get an edge on you and he’ll just do it time out, time in, time out, again over and over.”

 

Stuard was a core special teams player and rotational linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts last season and should play a similar role for the Lions this fall.

 

The Lions return starting linebackers Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes, but fourth linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez is returning from a torn ACL, which could open defensive snaps for Stuard.

 

“Stuard can do it all, man,” Campbell said. “He’s a guy that’s been counted out but just continues to make plays in this league. He’s a dynamic special teams player in my opinion. And he can play defense. I mean he played defense against us.”

 

Stuard had a career-high 19 tackles in an October win over the Miami Dolphins last season and made three stops in 27 defensive snaps against the Lions.

 

Along with his play, Campbell said the Lions were attracted to Stuard by the chip he carries on his shoulder on the field.

 

“That’s a guy that flies under the radar,” Campbell said. “This guy’s an unbelievable special teams player and he can play defense, too. And maybe offense.”

 

Dave Birkett is the author of the book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline.” Order your copyhere. Contact him at

 

 

 

 

One departure that went under the radar in Detroit this offseason was Ifeatu Melifonwu’s signing with the Miami Dolphins. A third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Melifonwu couldn’t make the impact he was hoping for with the Lions as he suffered various injuries throughout his four-year stint. The talented defensive back was able to play out the season fully healthy only once, during the 2023 campaign.

 

As a result, the Lions didn’t retain the former Syracuse standout once his rookie contract was up. The 25-year-old went on to sign a one-year deal with the Dolphins to be reunited with former Lions defensive backs coach Brian Duker.

 

Per Emmett Matasovsky of Sports Illustrated, the former Lion had nothing but positive things to say about the Lions organization. In fact, he revealed that a big part of what he will be bringing to Miami will be what he learned from Dan Campbell in Detroit.

 

“So we knew it was just like keep working and we never lost our identity through it all. And it just showed, like just kept putting our head down and going to work and I feel like that’s what I’ll bring to the Dolphins. I’m just going to – right when I get there, just buy into everything Coach (McDaniel) is saying and everything (defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver) Coach Weaver is saying and just put your head down and work and avoid all the distractions because I’ve seen both of it.”

Ifeatu Melifonwu

Melifonwu was drafted the same year Campbell took over in Detroit. He said that the team was bought in immediately when Campbell arrived and was willing to work hard for their new head coach. That is the same attitude he would like to bring with him to the Dolphins.

 

Regardless of how bad the team’s record is (and it was bad in his rookie season), Melifonwu said the most important thing is to block out the noise and “just go to work every day.”

 

He will be playing under head coach Mike McDaniel in Miami, another authentic, outside-the-box thinker, despite obvious differences with Dan Campbell. Let’s see whether he can build upon his experience in Detroit and find consistent success with his new team.

 

The Detroit Lions focused on making strategic acquisitions in free agency as they aim to keep the core of the roster intact.

The most notable addition is D.J. Reed, who will replace starting cornerback Carlton Davis III after he signed with the New England Patriots.

The Lions also bolstered their depth with signings like defensive tackle Roy Lopez and quarterback Kyle Allen.

It never seemed realistic that the Detroit Lions would make a big splash in free agency.

 

After all, this franchise’s renaissance was largely propelled by the homegrown players it drafted.

 

Keeping them in the fold has become the priority as the organization looks to expand the window of opportunity to win its first-ever Super Bowl.

 

That will require a significant investment, which affects the financial flexibility to take some big swings on the open market. But general manager Brad Holmes still went ahead and made some new acquisitions this month, finding a new starter at cornerback and a slew of quality backups who will buttress multiple sectors of the team. We examine and grade each of the seven signings below:

 

Grade A

D.J. Reed, CB

The deal: three years, $48 million.

 

Reed was brought in as a replacement for Carlton Davis III, who left for New England after one season in Detroit. But he may prove to be a cheaper, better and more durable alternative to Davis. Reed has missed only five games the past three seasons and was a consistent performer throughout his tenure with the New York Jets. Among cornerbacks, he earned a reputation as one of the best run defenders in the league.

He also provided sticky coverage, forcing tight-window throws on 37.3% of the passes thrown his way – the fourth-highest rate in the NFL. At 28, Reed is in the prime of his career and has the experience to take on a mentorship role with Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr., a pair of 2024 draft picks who are still developing. All in all, the addition of Reed checks off a lot of boxes.

 

Grant Stuard, LB

The deal: one year, $1.7 million.

 

It was easy to see why Detroit signed Stuard following his high-energy introductory news conference. The linebacker, after all, seems like a perfect fit for an organization whose unofficial motto is “grit.” “Play style is definitely relentless effort,” he said. Stuard’s full-throttle approach served him well as he became an indispensable member of the Indianapolis Colts’ special teams, where he played on five different units. He is expected to take on a similar role in Detroit and provide some depth in the middle of the Lions’ defense. After Detroit opted to release Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Stuard was a smart pickup.

 

 

Two weeks before free agency began, Holmes reminded the public that the “the trenches are always going to be a priority for us.”

 

“I just think that is where the game is won,” he added. “You just can never really have enough of those guys.”

 

Soon thereafter, Lopez came aboard. The 6-foot-2, 318-pound fireplug is a solid rotational nose tackle who has made 50 starts over the past four seasons. In 2024, his final year with Arizona, he averaged 29 snaps per game and collected 28 tackles – four of which resulted in lost yardage. According to Pro Football Focus, his run-stop percentage was better than Lions starter, D.J. Reader.

Although he has never produced more than one sack in a season, Lopez has shown he can push the pocket. In 2024, he generated 18 pressures. Given his reliable track record, this is a solid addition for a defense that experienced major attrition within its front seven last year.

 

The Lions entered 2024 without an experienced backup quarterback. Hendon Hooker, a 2023 third-round pick, never played as a rookie as he recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee that he suffered during his final year at Tennessee. He then logged just 33 snaps in three appearances last year before the Lions brought Teddy Bridgewater out of retirement in late December to back up Jared Goff as the team geared up for its playoff run. W

 

hen Goff was briefly sidelined during the NFC divisional round loss to Washington, it was Bridgewater, not Hooker, who entered the game. Hooker wasn’t even active that night. Once Bridgewater’s contract expired following the season, the Lions were again left without a seasoned veteran who could replace Goff in a pinch. That’s why adding Kyle Allen made sense.

He has played for five different teams over seven seasons and has made 19 starts – 17 more than practice squad quarterback Jake Fromm. Better yet, the organization didn’t have to make much of a financial commitment to sign Allen, whose one-year contract includes just $100,000 guaranteed.

 

 

Among Holmes’ major priorities this offseason was beefing up the Lions’ cast of reserves.

 

“Depth,” he said, “is a huge, critical piece.”

 

Maddox will help enhance it now that he is the fold. Last season, the slot cornerback played 359 defensive snaps over 21 games with Super Bowl champion Philadelphia. During his seven-year tenure with the Eagles, Maddox was reliably sturdy against the run and decent in coverage. While the 28-year-old Maddox is projected to serve as backup to Amik Robertson, he has some position flexibility that allows him to potentially help out in other spots within the secondary.

In recent years, Maddox has moonlighted at safety, so he could conceivably spell Brian Branch on occasion. That would help offset the loss of Ifeatu Melifonwu in free agency. The fact that Maddox is a Detroit native is a plus. The Lions acquired a player who should be extra-motivated to help his hometown team in its Super Bowl quest.

 

 

A former second-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, Ya-Sin entered the NFL as a starter. But his career has been on a downturn in recent years as he has bounced from one franchise to the next. This past season, Ya-Sin played primarily on special teams with the San Francisco 49ers, his fourth team in as many years.

With Kindle Vildor gone, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound Ya-Sin may be able to carve out a role on the Lions as a backup to Reed and Arnold. Ya-Sin, after all, is known as a press-man specialist with an aggressive play style. He should fit in well with the Lions’ scheme and be an upgrade over Vildor, who was seen as a liability in coverage.

 

 

Before the Lions added Yeboah, there were only two tight ends on the roster – starter Sam LaPorta and backup Brock Wright. But shortly after Yeboah came aboard, Detroit re-signed Shane Zylstra. Just like that, the impact of Yeboah’s acquisition was mitigated. Yeboah, after all, is a down-the-line reserve. In four seasons with the New York Jets, he has made only nine catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.

The meager output wouldn’t be a concern if he distinguished himself as a support player on the line of scrimmage. But he hasn’t. According to Pro Football Focus, he has consistently earned mediocre to below-average grades in pass protection and run blocking. Yeboah has a solid track record on special teams, however. So, he may able to earn a spot there.

 

 

 

The Detroit Lions front office made it an offseason priority to keep most of their core together for a Super Bowl run in 2025. Despite the significant changes in the coaching staff, the Lions wanted to retain most of their key free agents for next season.

 

That doesn’t mean, however, that there will not be new faces on the team. One of the biggest changes came in the secondary. Carlton Davis signed with the New England Patriots and was replaced by D.J. Reed. Kindle Vildor and Ifeatu Melifonwu also left in free agency.

 

Another secondary defender the Lions signed was Detroit native Avonte Maddox. The 28-year-old, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Eagles, is returning home on a one-year deal. Recently, Maddox’s video from four years ago showing his Lions tattoo surfaced. In the footage, he shows the inside of his left arm with the Lions logo and the words “Lion Hearted”.

 

Avonte Maddox’s Detroit Homecoming Should Boost Lions Defense

Maddox was born and raised in Detroit, going to Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Downtown Detroit. After leaving Michigan to go to Pittsburgh for college, Maddox became a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

 

Last season, Maddox won his first Super Bowl with the Eagles after appearing in 33% of defensive snaps and 43% of special teams snaps. He primarily lined up in the slot but has experience playing at safety and on the outside earlier in his career.

 

The Lions have Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson, and DJ Reed on the outside and Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch at safety. With the addition of Maddox into the mix, that is a scary group. If Detroit can add another elite pass-rusher and some defensive line depth, the defense should take a significant step forward.

 

The Detroit Lions may have to make some tough roster decisions ahead. Does that eventually mean trading away talent?

 

It’s not easy having an abundance of talent in the NFL. In the salary cap era, the league has purposely tried to make it hard for one team to hoard all of the talent, even if that team managed to find those players all on their own through the draft. It’s only a matter of time before teams have to make tough decisions on talented players due to the rising costs of an increasingly improved roster.

 

The Detroit Lions are nearing that time in their development, and general manager Brad Holmes openly admitted this during the NFL Combine last month.

 

“There are a lot of decisions that we have to make,” Holmes said. “Because we’re at the point, we’re at the juncture with our roster right now that we have identified a lot of young core pieces that we want to keep around and unfortunately that’s the tough part is that you got to make decisions on other players contractually that you might not be able to keep that you want to keep. So it’s not more so due to you don’t want to have the players anymore but you just can’t have everybody.”

 

We’ve already seen the results of this cap-saving strategy with a modest free agency from the Lions. As of this publishing, the Lions only signed six external free agents, and only one was signed to a multi-year deal.

 

But that’s only the first stage. At some point, the Lions are going to have to let some talented players walk. Sometimes that will mean via free agency, but that could also mean trading away players to maximize the team’s return on a player they can’t afford to re-sign. We’ve seen some of the best teams in the NFL apply this strategy, whether it be the Kansas City Chiefs with players like Tyreek Hill and Joe Thuney, the 49ers with Deebo Samuel, or the Philadelphia Eagles with C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

 

In this week’s Midweek Mailbag, we discuss whether the Lions could be the next team in line to trade away some of their talented players in an effort to keep costs low and maximize their draft capital. Are the Lions positioned in a way where they need to do it? Which players could be on the block as soon as the trade deadline this year? And what kind of value are we talking about? Our discussion on that topic begins around the 29:40 mark of this week’s episode.

 

Other topics on this week’s show (in chronological order):

 

Our opinions on the Lions’ three rule proposals

Debating the arguments for and against extending Jameson Williams

Which prospects are worth trading up in the first round for?

Do the Lions need to draft a tall cornerback?

Can Ennis Rakestraw play on the outside?

Should the Lions draft a quarterback? Is Jalen Milroe a fit?

Predicting who starts opposite Aidan Hutchinson on the EDGE

What’s one thing you hope the coordinators keep from their predecessors? What’s one thing you hope they change?

Favorite/least favorite wins from 2025

You can listen to the entire show in the embedded player below or on your favorite podcast app. You can also catch video replays via our YouTube or Twitch page.

 

 

The Detroit Lions proposed a change to the NFL playoff seeding format that would prioritize regular season record over divisional ranking.

The proposed change aims to reward teams with better regular season performance and increase competitiveness in late-season games.

The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings shared the best record in the NFC when they met in a winner-take-all game in Week 18 of the regular season last year. The winner got the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and homefield advantage, the loser got a wild-card spot and road trips likely for the duration of the playoffs.

 

The Lions won the game and, like the Vikings, flamed out in their playoff opener, but now they want to change to playoff seeding format to reward teams for their regular season record.

 

The Lions submitted three rule- or bylaw-proposal changes for the NFL’s annual meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., later this month, including one that would “amend the current playoff seeding format to allow Wild Card teams to be seeded higher than Division Champions if the Wild Card team has a better regular season record.”

 

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (0) dives after intercepting a pass from Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025.

Had the proposal been in effect last season, the Lions would have been the No. 1 seed in the NFC, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 2, the Vikings at No. 3 and the Washington Commanders at No. 4, while the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams and NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers would have gone on the road in the wild-card round.

 

The Vikings lost to the Rams in Glendale, Arizona after the game was moved because of wildfires, the Commanders beat the Bucs in Tampa, the Eagles won a wild-card home game against the Green Bay Packers, and the Lions lost in the divisional round to the Commanders.

 

If the Lions’ proposal is adopted, playoff seeding in future years would be determined by record only, with division champs having the tie-breaker advantage over wild-card teams with the same record. In the second round, the top seed would continue to play the lowest remaining seed, like the format is now.

 

In literature about club-proposed changes released Wednesday, the reason for the proposal was “competitive equity” to provide “excitement and competition in late season games” and to reward “the best-performing teams from the regular season.”

 

The Lions, who have regularly submitted bylaw and rules proposals since Brad Holmes took over as general manager and Dan Campbell as head coach in 2021, also submitted proposals to exclude players placed on injured reserve from the 90-man roster limit, unless they are designated for return, and to eliminate an automatic first down as a penalty for defensive holding and illegal contact.

 

Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles scores a touchdown with the Tush Push play against the New York Giants during their game at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 20, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J.

Last year, the Lions submitted four rule or bylaw proposals, including ones to push back the trade deadline and tweak the challenge rules.

 

The NFL adopted the Lions’ proposal to allow teams to get a third challenge if they won one of their first two challenges. Previously, teams were only allowed a third challenge if both of their first two challenges were successful.

 

Owners also modified the emergency quarterback rule following a Lions proposal in 2023.

 

Along with the Lions’ three proposals this year, NFL owners will consider playing rules proposals by the Green Bay Packers to ban the tush push short-yardage play popularized by the Eagles in recent years, and by the Eagles to align the postseason and regular season overtime rules by granting both teams at least one possession in overtime.

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers also submitted a proposal to allow teams to have one video or phone call with a prospective unrestricted free agent during the free agent negotiating period.

 

The NFL’s competition committee will submit additional proposals next week. The annual meeting is March 30-April 1.

 

Campbell, who previously said he was in favor of keeping the tush push a legal play, has said he is not interested in being on the competition committee.

 

 

 

A full breakdown of the finances for Detroit Lions free agency signings Roy Lopez and Grant Stuard.

 

It’s always important not to overreact to initial contract terms when it comes to NFL free agency. With most news breaking via NFL agents, they tend to present the contracts with misleading numbers to boost the perceived value.

 

Two more contract details are in for the Detroit Lions’ 2025 free agency class, and—again—some numbers were a bit fudged when originally reported.

 

Here’s the full breakdown of the deals for nose tackle Roy Lopez and linebacker Grant Stuard.

 

Base salary: $1.33M (fully guaranteed)

Signing bonus: $2M

Active roster bonus: $10,000 per game (up to $170,000)

Cap hit: $3.5 million

Additional: Lopez has $1.15 million in potential incentives. Per Wilson, those incentives are related to sacks, playing time, and playoff appearances

 

Lopez’s signing displays an increased investment in the backup nose tackle job. Last year, the Lions signed Kyle Peko to a one-year, $1.21 million deal to be the backup. Lopez is getting nearly three times that, and it’s fully guaranteed.

 

In my opinion, this signifies two things: Lopez is set to have a significant defensive role rotating with veteran nose tackle DJ Reader, and Detroit prioritized getting younger at the position. Peko will turn 32 before the season starts. Lopez will be 28.

 

Because all of Lopez’s contract is guaranteed for injury, expect him to be a roster lock—which is undoubtedly bad news for 2023 third-round pick Brodric Martin, who has yet to earn a defensive role through two seasons.

 

The initial report of Lopez’s deal was a one-year, $4.45 million contract, but that total value will only be reached if Lopez hits all of the aforementioned incentives.

 

Base salary: $1.15M (fully guaranteed)

Signing bonus: $350,000

Cap hit: $1.7 million

This is about as straightforward as a contract can get. Stuard’s contract is fully guaranteed, which gives him a good shot to make the roster because releasing him would not save Detroit any cap space. That said, $1.7 million is not too restrictive either. If Stuard doesn’t win a roster spot, it’s not exactly a huge dead cap hit.

 

If you view Stuard as a replacement for Jalen Reeves-Maybin, the Lions saved some money here. If the Lions had just kept Reeves-Maybin on the roster, he would have cost $4.25 million against the cap. With him now released, he does still carry $2.25 million in dead cap. However, even when you combine that with Stuard’s $1.7 million cap hit ($3.95), it’s saving the Lions $300,000 in cap space, and—like at nose tackle—the Lions are now significantly younger at the position (Stuard is 26, Reeves-Maybin is 30).

 

 

The Detroit Lions agreed to a one-year contract Friday with former New York Jets tight end Kenny Yeboah.

 

Yeboah caught nine passes for 111 yards in four seasons with the Jets and is best known for his blocking prowess.

 

Jan 5, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets tight end Kenny Yeboah (88) celebrates with guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (75) during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

He made one start and appeared in nine games last season, and caught his first career touchdown from Aaron Rodgers in Week 11.

 

The Lions are thin at the tight end position, with just Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright on the roster. LaPorta set a then-rookie tight end record with 86 catches for 889 yards in 2023 and followed that up with 60 catches for 726 yards while playing through injuries last season. Wright is the Lions’ primary blocking tight end.

 

The Lions have signed three new players to their defense in free agency, cornerback D.J. Reed, linebacker Grant Stuard and defensive tackle Roy Lopez. On offense, they’ve added Yeboah and backup quarterback Kyle Allen.

 

Yeboah also played about 75% of the special teams snaps in the games he was active for the Jets the past three seasons.

 

Dave Birkett will sign copies of his book, “Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline,” at 7 p.m., March 24, at the Birmingham Public Library. Order your copyhere.

 

 

 

 

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) talks to head coach Dan Campbell at a timeout against Los Angeles Rams

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) talks to head coach Dan Campbell at a timeout against Los Angeles Rams /

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has regularly praised Dan Campbell for being one of the best leaders he has ever been around.

 

Appearing on the “Glue Guys” podcast, Detroit’s franchise quarterback again shared his appreciation for the Lions being accepting of him, when he was dealt to the organization back in 2021.

 

The 30-year-old, in an interview that lasted over 60 minutes, revealed what he enjoyed most about Detroit’s popular head coach and what he has learned from being around a leader of Campbell’s caliber.

 

Goff expressed that on multiple occasions, Campbell will decide to play music during organized team activities to break up the mundane nature of meetings and reviewing things that will not take place until the fall.

 

“You’re in these meetings in April for stuff that’s going to happen in the fall. And in those meetings and even some in training camp that get even more mundane, he’ll just put on, just start playing his favorite music or music that makes him think of certain things,” said Goff.

“And this will go on for like ten minutes. He’ll just kind of be flipping through some songs. We’re all kind of sitting there, waiting for, all right, ‘What’s the message here? What’s he getting at?’ And he’ll kind of be like, all right, this song was playing when I was going to my senior football game in high school.

 

“And he’ll kind of sit there and envision that. And he’ll kind of go through, it’ll play for a minute. It’ll be AC/DC or Metallica, who he likes. And then he’ll play another song. …. And then he’ll play like modern stuff that like our guys like. He’ll be like, ‘I heard you guys like this song.’ He’ll play that song and guys will kind of start going, and we’ll do that for like 10 to 15 minutes. He’s done it a few times in the last few years.

And then it’s just over and it’s like, ‘All right guys, break it up.’ He’s got such a unique leadership ability to know when it’s time to like dig into us and let us know that we need to do this better. We need to do that better,” Goff commented further. “And then to know, hey, these guys need just like some fun and some relief from what’s going on.”

 

 

Goff indicated that the former NFL tight end just has a keen awareness of how players are feeling and what they need to thrive and survive a grueling NFL season.

 

“I call it emotional intelligence,” said Goff. “It’s the highest I’ve ever been around, that I’ve ever seen, or probably will ever see. Just to know when guys need what. He’ll have fun team meetings like that, but then at the same time, he holds guys extremely accountable and is really, really, really smart in the football sense and can handle all of it. It’s really it’s really special.”

 

Detroit’s starting signal-caller noted he has also learned from Campbell how to deal with a variety of different people. Being around such a solid leader has taught him so much about leadership, which is paramount for a quarterback.

 

Goff expressed, “I think from a leadership standpoint, I’ve learned so much from Dan, as far as knowing how to approach different people and meeting everyone where they’re at, type of thing.”

 

 

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