Thus far, we’ve seen the Detroit Lions attempt to execute two trick plays involving offensive tackle Penei Sewell. The first came in a key game against the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 when Sewell made an athletic, game-clinching catch after being lined up as a tight end. The second was a far less successful attempt to get Sewell to attempt a throw against the Bears in 2024, which technically went down as a sack, but also involved an awesome stiff-arm.
It’s quite possible there will be a trilogy of trick
plays involving Sewell, and that third installment could come in 2026.
During an interview with NFL Network on Friday, Lions coach Dan Campbell admitted that they plan on installing some plays involving Sewell as an offensive weapon.
“Not yet, but we will,” Campbell told the NFL Network crew. “We will. Look, he’s a versatile—I’ve said this all along—he’s a weapon. He’s a weapon. He plays on the o-line, but there’s so much he can do.”
What that trick play will look like remains a mystery, but we do know the Lions have an offensive coaching staff that is more than willing to throw out trick plays. Last year, Mike Kafka—now the Lions’ pass game coordinator, then the Giants’ interim head coach—dialed up a few successful trick plays for New York against the Lions. And while offensive coordinator Drew Petzing doesn’t have an extensive history of pulling out some trick plays, Campbell spoke about how impressed he’s been with him thus far.
“I was always intrigued with Drew in crossover tape of some of the things he was able to do,” Campbell said. “Man, the run game, but also matchups in the pass game. I thought he did a lot with little (in Arizona). They didn’t have some of the pieces we’ve got here, and I thought he did a great job of finding those matchups and using them.”
Could one of those new matchups involve Penei Sewell as a receiver? We’ll have to wait and see.
