Forgoing a team announcement or a sports journalist, the Detroit Lions chose to break the news they have extended linebacker Jack Campbell with the help of a Lions superfan.
Diehard Lions supporter Sweta Patel posted on X on at 1:45 p.m. Thursday that Campbell will stay a Lion, citing “inside sources.”
Because she’s not a journalist, some folks who saw the post likely questioned her source. Five minutes later, the Lions answered that question on their own X account.
“I just want to let you guys know, I signed my extension,” Campbell said in the video. “I’m excited to be back. I’m excited to be here longterm. Now it’s time to go win a Super Bowl.”
The Lions underwent a massive culture change when Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell came to town, and in this writer’s opinion, connecting with fans this way is more evidence they care about their fans. I can’t speak to whether this has been done before by another team, but it’s another testament that the Lions appreciate the support from diehard fans, and want to reward them with unique opportunities.
Patel posted a follow-up, saying she’s been a season ticket holder since 2018—yes, during the dark days—and she was thankful for the opportunity to break some news.
Even national NFL media took notice of this unique delivery method.
Both The Athletic and the Detroit News wrote articles about how the Lions pulled off this announcement with Patel, and it’s very interesting to hear about how the whole thing was carefully managed despite the fact that the entire plan came together in a matter of hours.
I still recall all the comments from all types of people back in the day, when the Lions were truly bad, about how much the team doesn’t care about fans. Yet again, the current regime finds ways to show that simply isn’t true.
For more on the contract, POD’s Jeremy Reisman takes a deeper dive into the finer details and how Campbell’s contract compares to those of other top NFL linebackers.
And onto the rest of your notes.
- Over on The Feed, user lionskillme (wonder when that username was created) spotted an NFL.com article that shows some love for Lomas Brown as the former Lion most likely to become the next Hall of Fame inductee. What do we think?
- Speaking of former Lions, on the new Down & Dirty with Scott & Herman show, the pair discuss Sean McVay’s recent comments about the Jared Goff trade.
- Detroitlions.com’s Tim Twentyman checked in with all seven rookies as they adjust to life in the NFL in his latest episode of Twentyman in the Huddle.
- Five Metro Detroit organizations will receive this year’s funding through the Lions’ social justice initiative, Detroit Lions Inspire Change. Players and ownership are donating a total of $370,825 in grants. Learn more about the organizations chosen this year and what they plan to do with the money here.
- Former Lions OC Jim Bob Cooter joined the NFL Spotlight show and reflected on some of the quarterbacks he worked with during his time in Detroit.
- A reminder at this football fan’s expense — it’s never too early to start fantasy prep. You’ll probably lose anyway to someone who picked based on jersey color, but still.
