Detroit Lions quarterback David Blough (10) looks on before team introductions before their NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at Ford Field in Detroit, on Sunday, September 12, 2021. The 49ers won the game, 41-33. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)Mike Mulholland | MLive.com
The first name of interest for the Detroit Lions open offensive coordinator job has emerged and it’s a familiar one.
Just two years ago, David Blough, 30, was a member of the Lions’ practice squad as a quarterback. But now he’s being viewed as a potential replacement by Detroit for recently-relieved OC John Morton, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Following the end of his playing career, Blough was hired on as an assistant quarterbacks coach with the Washington Commanders in 2024 under coach Dan Quinn and reuniting with then-offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, his former coach with the Arizona Cardinals.
When Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard was named head coach at Stanford on Nov. 28, Blough stepped into the role on an interim basis for the remainder of the season.
Blough didn’t see much of the field in the NFL after going undrafted out of Purdue, but most of his play was with Detroit. After being signed by the Cleveland Browns as an UDFA in 2019, he was traded to the Lions just ahead of the start of the season.
But after injuries to Matthew Stafford and Jeff Driskel, Blough suddenly found himself as a rookie starter debuting on Thanksgiving against the Chicago Bears.
Blough would start five games for the Lions, completing 54% of his passes for 984 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions, while losing every game.
He spent the next two seasons with the Lions — including coach Dan Campbell’s first as head coach — primarily on their practice squad before finally being released in ahead of the 2022 season.
Blough was signed by the Cardinals off the Minnesota Vikings practice squad late in 2022 and started a pair of games for Arizona, going 0-2 under Kingsbury.
The conclusion of his playing career saw Blough return to Detroit for the 2023 season as a practice-squad quarterback before retiring in 2024.
Blough quickly generated buzz as a rising assistant for his work with quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels was Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro-Bowler in his first season, giving plenty of credit to Blough as part of the leadership team that got him there.
The Lions, obviously, have plenty of familiarity with Blough. He knows Campbell’s system and the quarterback room well. This would be a massive step up for Blough without even a full year as a full-time position coach.
But if Campbell is looking to bring someone in the role he trusts, Blough is going to be one of the names at the top of the list.
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