Every Detroit Lions fan knows the routine: the game ends, and after shaking hands with the opposing coach, head coach Dan Campbell heads to the podium for his post-game presser. As soon as he begins talking, social media immediately explodes with quotes, reactions, and micro-analysis. But one longtime Detroit beat writer isn’t part of that scene anymore, and he’s perfectly fine with it.
In a recent Mailbag entry for Detroit Football Network, veteran reporter Justin Rogers pulled back the curtain on why you won’t see him sitting shoulder-to-shoulder in Campbell’s postgame press conferences anymore.
And honestly?
He’s saying what I’ve been preaching for about a decade.
Dan Campbell Lions offensive struggles Detroit Lions press conferences
Why Justin Rogers Skips the Podium
Rogers was asked a pretty straightforward question:
“Is there an official protocol on the types of questions allowed to be asked in the postgame press conference?”
His answer couldn’t have been clearer:
“No, there are no restrictions. I’m not aware of the criticisms that might be out there, but I started skipping postgame press conferences in favor of going into the locker room after launching the Detroit Football Network.”
And then he explained why:
“I miss not being able to ask the questions I have for Campbell, but there’s more value in trying to mine original content and quotes from the locker room than a podium session that streams on YouTube.”
That right there is the entire philosophy.
Skip the stuff everyone else gets.
Go find the stuff nobody else has.
This Is EXACTLY What I’ve Been Saying
Rogers is spot-on, and it’s the same stance I’ve been yelling into the Lions-media void for a decade.
Even though Detroit Sports Nation isn’t credentialed (we haven’t requested credentials), I’ve always said that if we did get access, we wouldn’t waste our time sitting in a conference room listening to quotes that fans can watch live, in full, on YouTube.
Press conferences are valuable, sure.
But they’re not exclusive.
Every fan sees them.
Every outlet recycles the same lines.
Every headline looks the same.
If you get inside that building, you should be doing what Justin is doing:
Talking to players individually.
Finding moments nobody else saw.
Getting unique, personal insight.
Mining the raw emotion that only exists in the locker room.
That’s where the real stories live.
Rogers understands that.
And I love it.
Why This Approach Matters
When journalists shuffle into the press room after a game, the dynamic is the same every week:
Campbell takes the podium.
He praises effort.
He mentions execution.
He answers five or six broad questions.
He leaves.
It’s short.
It’s safe.
It’s public.
And most weeks, it’s pretty much impossible to get anything unique out of it.
Meanwhile, in the locker room?
That’s where the truth usually spills out. That’s where you hear how Amon-Ra St. Brown really felt after a big moment, or what Jared Goff saw on a critical play, or what a rookie learned from a mistake.
That’s where the emotional temperature of the team actually lives.
You can’t recreate that from a podium feed on YouTube.
Bottom Line: Justin Rogers Gets It
His decision isn’t an avoidance of Dan Campbell; it’s a commitment to better storytelling.
He’s choosing originality over redundancy.
Depth over convenience.
Access over optics.
And if Detroit Sports Nation ever grabs credentials, that’ll be our move too.
No sitting in a room waiting for quotes that fans already heard.
No churning out recycled content.
Straight to the locker room.
Straight to the players.
Straight to the stories that actually matter.
Great work, Justin! Keep doing it the right way!
*By the way, if you have not already subscribed to the Detroit Football Network, what are you waiting for? It’s worth it!