Big decisions await for the Detroit Lions as they head into the 2026 offseason. After a massive step back this year, Lions coach Dan Campbell has said he expects to evaluate everything this offseason with a chance to make changes anywhere.
The defense figures to be a pretty big focus this offseason, as the Lions dropped from the seventh-best scoring defense in 2024 (20.1 points per game) to 23rd this season (24.8 PPG). But when asked about how first-time defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has done
this season, Campbell offered high praise.
“I like Shep. Shep has really grown this year,” Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket during his weekly Tuesday appearance. “I think with any first-time coordinator, first-time coach, you go through a lot. You learn along the way. You make adjustments. You find things that you believe in, you throw other things to the side that don’t fit you. You find ways to adjust, and it’s just part of the process.
“I think Shep’s done a damn good job. There’s always going to be things that you learn from this job, but I like Shep.”
The Lions did seem to find some solutions to long-standing problems—most notably, stopping mobile quarterbacks from beating them with their feet. However, as the season went on, other problems arose with few solutions. The Lions continued to give up too many explosive plays through the air, and their run defense struggled down the stretch.
Campbell was asked if Sheppard’s job is safe for 2026, but the Lions head coach failed to give an answer.
“I’m not anywhere yet. I’ve got one game left here,” Campbell said. “I’m not about to start going through what I’m going to do here or there. I’m not.”
Campbell is obviously not oblivious to the team’s struggles on defense, but he suggested that 2025 was a learning process for what was an overhauled coaching staff. Now he must figure out if this coaching staff will grow together or if there are changes that need to be made.
“How much of that [our struggles] is because there’s a ton of new? I mean, I’ve got eight new coaches here and two new coordinators,” Campbell said. “Does that mean we just need to get some things in sync and we buy a little more time? Or is it not salvageable? These are all the little things that you think about when the time is right, and I’m not there. I’ve still got another week.”
