You know how some stories just feel like fate with a twist? That’s exactly what happened with **Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes**—only his journey to Allen Park wasn’t exactly direct.
Back in 2003, Holmes was a young guy trying to break into the NFL. Fresh off a media internship with the Atlanta Hawks, he had two golden tickets in his hands: one from the Detroit Lions and the other from the St. Louis Rams.
Spoiler alert: He didn’t pick Detroit. And yes, the irony is delicious.
TL;DR
Brad Holmes was offered a Lions internship in 2003—but turned it down for the Rams.
His reason? The Rams promoted interns. The Lions didn’t.
Holmes spent 18 years rising through the Rams’ ranks.
In 2021, he finally joined the Lions—as GM.
He’s now considered the best front-office hire Detroit has made in decades.
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Why It Matters
Holmes has turned into arguably the best front-office hire the Lions have made in decades. But it almost never happened—not just because Detroit initially passed, but because Holmes passed on Detroit first.
A Look Back at the Decision
In an appearance on the Field Talk Podcast, Holmes told the story of how he initially accepted a PR internship with the Lions—until he started doing a little homework.
“When I had those two opportunities with the Lions and the Rams to be a PR director, I was just reading through all the bios in the media guide,” Holmes said as quoted by Pride of Detroit. “I saw that the Rams hired a lot of their interns… I kinda had already accepted the Lions one, but when I read through the Lions’ media guide, I didn’t see any bios of like, ‘Oh, former intern, former intern.’ So I was like, ‘Man, this is just going to be another intern one-and-done.’”
That was all it took. When the Rams came calling, Holmes made the tough call to the Lions and reversed course. He joined the Rams instead—opting for a path where he saw real opportunity for growth.
What Happened Next
The Lions? They went on to hire and fire Matt Millen, Martin Mayhew, and Bob Quinn over the next 18 years. Brutal.
Meanwhile, Holmes spent those same 18 years climbing the ladder with the Rams—from PR intern to national scout to director of college scouting. He played a key role in building rosters that made deep playoff runs, including the core that won Super Bowl LVI.
And then, in 2021, the Lions finally circled back. This time, Holmes didn’t say no.
The Big Picture
It’s a full-circle moment that Lions fans can’t help but appreciate. The guy who once had doubts about Detroit’s long-term vision became the very person to give it one.
The Bottom Line
Brad Holmes might’ve ghosted Detroit in 2003, but in hindsight? That decision may have made him the exact leader the Lions needed—just when they needed him most.