Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions.
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Dan Campbell is fessing up to why the Detroit Lions had a losing season in 2025-26, and he's pointing the blame.
The Detroit Lions didn’t have a good 2025-26 season, and there’s really no way to sugarcoat it. The team ended the year in last place in the NFC North, according to NFL research, just one year after finishing first, and they rounded out the season with a 9-8 record and no postseason appearance.
So, what went wrong? Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell says that he knows exactly why the team had a losing 2025-26 season, and he doesn’t apologize for it. While he takes some of the blame, he’s also pointing figures at something else that happened last year.
Campbell met with the press on Monday, March 30, at the 2026 NFL league meetings and talked about a range of topics. Reporters asked Campbell why the Detroit Lions struggled so much last season, especially following the blockbuster year they had in 2024.
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Says He Knows Why the Team Lost in 2025
Campbell pointed to two key injuries on the Lions’ squad that hurt them: Sam LaPorta’s back injury and Brock Wright’s neck injury. At the meeting, he told reporters that having those two players sidelined is really what hurt Detroit’s gameplan.
“Look, there’s multiple reasons,” he said, in response to being asked what went wrong. “It falls on my shoulders, some of it was the offensive line, some of it was losing Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright.”
He added, “That had a significant blow too, now. All of those things. That’s why we go through the cut-ups. You check yourself, but also, from a personnel standpoint, where can we get a little bit better and help our guys.”
Dan Campbell Makes a Blunt Point That Having Multiple Key Detroit Lions Players Out Made the Difference
Campbell’s statement is strong, but it’s not hyperbole. It was expected that the Detroit Lions would hurt during the 2025-26 season after losing both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinate Aaron Glenn, but going from first to last in the NFC North was dramatic.
Whether or not players are healthy next season, the real question is whether the Lions are going to think ahead and invest in depth for when things go wrong, because they’ve often been lacking in that area. The other question is whether offensive coordinator Drew Petzing will have the guts to stand up to Campbell and call the plays.
Campbell had positive things to say about Petzing during the NFL league meetings and gave insight into why he hired him. It was all about the tape.
“The first thing that drew me to him was his tape,” Campbell said, according to the Lions’ official website. “Anytime we had crossover tape I love what they did offensively.” He continued, “I loved the fact that when you really watch his tape, he’s about the matchups, man, and he’s finding them wherever he can find them.”
Tim Twentyman from the Detroit Lions’ site adds, “Petzing has earned a reputation as a versatile and creative offensive mind who can adapt his offense and find advantageous matchups based on available personnel.”