Whenever a team makes a change to its coaching staff, the front office will often tap into the new coach’s familiarity with the upcoming free agents they have coached over their careers. This offseason,
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes will have a chance to do this with new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and the 30+ players he’s familiar with who are set to become free agents in March.
Let’s take a look at the 2026 free agents whom Petzing has either directly coached or indirectly worked with over the last decade of his coaching career.
Quarterback
- Teddy Bridgewater (Bucs): With Petzing in Minnesota in 2016-17
- Case Keenum (Bears): With Petzing in Minnesota in 2017, and Cleveland from 2020-21
- Clayton Tune (Currently in the UFL, Packers practice squad in 2025): With Petzing in Arizona in 2023
The Lions likely want to bring Kyle Allen back to backup Jared Goff, but if they’re unable to retain Allen or they want more competition, they may look to the free agent market. While Bridgewater is arguably the most talented, he seems likely to stick around in Florida (his home state), leaving Keenum the next best target amongst the group. While a 38-year-old QB3 from the Bears isn’t going to excite a fan base, there is some value in having a quarterback on the roster (or practice squad) who has a different perspective on the scheme and could help install some of the new concepts Petzing could be interested in implementing. Tune will have a chance to turn some heads with a strong performance in the UFL, but he’s facing an uphill battle.
Running back
- Nick Chubb (Texans): With Petzing in Cleveland from 2020-22
- Karem Hunt (Chiefs): With Petzing in Cleveland from 2020-22
- Michael Carter (Cardinals): With Petzing in Arizona from 2023-25
- Emari Demercado (Cardinals, RFA): With Petzing in Arizona from 2023-25
- Zonovan “Bam” Knight (Cardinals, RFA): With Petzing in Arizona in 2025
- DeeJay Dallas (Jaguars): With Petzing in Arizona in 2024
- Jermar Jefferson (Cardinals): With Petzing in Arizona for part of 2025
- C.J. Ham, FB (Vikings): With Petzing in Minnesota from 2016-19
Unless there is some movement with the David Montgomery situation, the Lions may not feel the need to address running back in free agency. After two tough seasons that ended his time in Cleveland, Chubb played the entire 2025 season but was in a diminishing role with Houston. He offers a similar skill set to Montgomery, but he’d be a downgrade at this stage of his career. Carter led the Cardinals’ backfield in rushing attempts this season with 92, as they used four different starters throughout the season. Knight actually started eight games to Carter’s five, but he had 10 fewer rushing attempts despite the extra starts. Demercado is the back with the most experience working with Petzing, but he didn’t start a game this season and is viewed as more of a third-down back.
Wide receiver
- Marquis “Hollywood” Brown (Chiefs): With Petzing in Arizona in 2023
- Greg Dortch (Cardinals): With Petzing in Arizona from 2023-25
- Zay Jones (Cardinals): With Petzing in Arizona from 2024-25
- Simi Fehoko (Cardinals): With Petzing in Arizona in 2025
- Adam Thielen (Steelers): With Petzing in Minnesota from 2016-19 [RETIRED]
- Rondale Moore (Vikings): With Petzing in Arizona in 2023
The Lions’ top three wide receivers are locked in for 2026, but they may need to address their depth if Kalif Raymond doesn’t return to a WR4 role and if they’re not confident any of their other reserves (Dominic Lovett, Jackson Meeks, etc) aren’t ready to step up. Brown was a starter in Arizona under Petzing, but he underwhelmed in the scheme and wasn’t a clean fit. Dortch held a similar role to Raymond with the Cardinals last season, but his season ended prematurely due to a chest injury. While injuries will always be a concern for a player his size (5-foot-7, 175), Dortch may be the player from this group the Lions like the best.
Tight end
- David Njoku (Browns): With Petzing Cleveland from 2020-22
- Austin Hooper (Patriots): With Petzing Cleveland from 2020-21
- Zach Ertz (Commanders): With Petzing in Arizona in 2023
- Harrison Bryant (Texans): With Petzing Cleveland from 2020-22
- Pharaoh Brown (Cardinals): Also with Petzing in Cleveland in 2020 and 2022
- Josiah Deguara (Cardinals): With Petzing in Arizona in 2025
With the Lions expected to increase their tight end usage in 2026, combined with Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright finishing the season on injured reserve, this group of six is worth keeping an eye on. While Njoku is arguably the most talented, Hooper may be the player who best combines skill and schematic fit. In the two seasons when Petzing was Hooper’s position coach, he registered the second-most receptions on the Browns each season. In Detroit, he’d challenge Wright for a TE2 role, while also being capable of giving the Lions spot-starting duties if needed. Brown has joined Petzing three different times during his career, though he’s not much more than a run blocking TE4 at this stage of his career.
Offensive tackle
- Jack Conklin, RT (Browns): With Petzing Cleveland from 2020-22
- Jonah Williams, RT (Cardinals): With Petzing in Arizona from 2024-25
- Kelvin Beachum, OT (Cardinals): With Petzing in Arizona from 2023-25
- D.J. Humphries, OT (Rams): With Petzing in Arizona in 2023
While the Lions may be looking for a starting offensive tackle this offseason if Taylor Decker retires, and Conklin and Williams look like they’d be under consideration for the role, both have had significant injuries in recent seasons and are coming off down seasons. Conklin signed a big four-year contract extension in 2022 but has played in only 21 games over the past three seasons, while Williams played in only 15 games in his two years in Arizona. When healthy, both have starting skills, but that’s been inconsistent of late.
Interior offensive line
- Joel Bitonio, LG (Browns): With Petzing Cleveland from 2020-22
- Wyatt Teller, RG (Browns): With Petzing Cleveland from 2020-22
- Ethan Pocic, C (Browns): With Petzing Cleveland in 2022
- Will Hernandez, RG (Cardinals): With Petzing in Arizona from 2023-25
- Trystan Colon, IOL (Lions): With Petzing in Arizona from 2023-24
The Lions may also be looking for a starting center or guard, depending on what happens with Graham Glasgow and where Tate Ratledge plays, and there are some options in this group. Bitonio could instantly fill a Kevin Zeitler-like role with the Lions, but he’s played his entire career in Cleveland and seems likely to return there or retire. His guard-mate Teller would also provide the Lions with a starter-level option to consider, and his mauling right guard mentality would fit right in. Pocic and Hernandez were also starters for their respective teams last season, but both finished the year on injured reserve—the third time in the last four seasons that has happened to Hernandez.
Colon potentially returning to the Lions and reuniting with Petzing is an interesting wrinkle. In both Detroit and Arizona, he’s been a reserve capable of playing guard and center, and spot-started at least four games in each of his three seasons between the two teams (four in Detroit in 2025, 11 in Arizona from 2023-24). Colon ranked 19th on my Lions priority re-signings rankings, where I noted that he may return to Detroit, even before the Petzing hiring. Now, that reunion seems even more likely.
