Without a doubt, the biggest offseason question for the Detroit Lions was how they were going to fill the offensive coordinator position after firing John Morton. With Drew Petzing now in line to become the offensive play-caller, Detroit’s focus must shift.
There are a lot of things that still need to be addressed, changed, or reconsidered from the team’s disappointing 2025 season. But you can only do one thing at a time.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
What is the Lions’ biggest offseason question now that they have hired an OC?
My answer: The center position.
There’s little
doubt that the loss of Frank Ragnow to retirement cost this team big in 2025. Protection against complication blitz packages took a big step back. Even worse was Detroit’s run blocking, which went from one of the best in the league to a bottom-half unit. Obviously, other losses on the offensive line—and the loss of Ben Johnson—played a part, too. But without Ragnow at the center of things, the entire offensive line looked different.
So Detroit faces a massive decision there moving forward. With Graham Glasgow’s cap hit taking a big jump, he is certainly a cap casualty candidate after a disappointing season. Glasgow is still good depth, but I would imagine the Lions want a different Plan A at center.
That could be 2025 second-round pick Tate Ratledge. The Lions acknowledged on draft night that they saw potential in him at center and got him some offseason reps there, too. He ended up playing right guard, but coach Dan Campbell said in his end-of-season press conference that the door is open for Ratledge to jump to center in 2026. That’s a risk considering he hasn’t ever played it full-time, but with his rookie season behind him, he could be ready for the challenge.
There are also free agency options. Tyler Linderbaum is the best option on the market, but he will be costly. Connor McGovern is a more reasonably-priced option. Or, the Lions could try to fill the position in the NFL Draft come April.
Either way, I think this is Detroit’s next biggest decision they face this offseason, and the path they choose could mean the difference between another disappointing year and a Super Bowl run.
What other big decisions do you see on the horizon this offseason? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
