Report: Lions hiring Drew Petzing as new offensive coordinator

The Lions have found their new offensive coordinator. They’re hiring Drew Petzing for the gig, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

Petzing most recently served the same position for the Arizona Cardinals. Despite a rash of injuries, their offense didn’t waver. Now, he’ll have plenty of tools at his disposal as a member of Dan Campbell’s staff.

The Lions are hiring Drew Petzing as their offensive coordinator, sources tell me and @RapSheet.

Petzing, 38, kept Arizona’s offense afloat this past season despite a rash of injuries, including at QB. Now, a huge opportunity with Detroit’s high-octane offense. pic.twitter.com/DViqn2d5cC

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 19, 2026

With the amount of candidates available and linked to the Lions, Petzing might be a bit of a surprise choice to many for the Lions. Evidently, the 38-year old coach did enough to merit the job according to Campbell. He’s earned the trust of the fanbase to make the decision in Detroit.

The move comes at a pivotal moment for the Lions. They’re looking to reset after a season that fell well short of expectations. Detroit entered the year as a popular Super Bowl pick following a 2024 campaign that included the NFC’s No. 1 seed and back-to-back NFC North titles, but the Lions failed to reach the playoffs after a Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day.

Campbell didn’t sugarcoat the disappointment when addressing reporters after the season: “Not good enough. We didn’t get in. We underachieved,” Campbell said. “I’d give myself a freaking F.”

Detroit finished outside the playoff picture despite high preseason expectations, a reality that Campbell admitted was difficult to process: “It’s going to be a hard pill to swallow watching these teams in the playoffs,” Campbell added. “But you’ve got to force yourself to do it because that’s a drive to want to be there.”

Players echoed that sentiment in the aftermath of the season-ending loss. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who surpassed 1,400 receiving yards for the second time in his career, said the Lions simply didn’t earn a postseason berth.

“It hurts, but we didn’t do enough,” St. Brown said. “We didn’t make enough plays. Didn’t win enough games. We don’t deserve to be in the playoffs.”

Despite the challenges in Arizona, Petzing was widely praised around the league for keeping the unit competitive and adaptable. Those qualities are what Detroit hopes will translate to a roster that still features one of the NFL’s most talented cores.

Campbell believes the Lions are closer to contention than their record suggests, but acknowledged changes were necessary: “We fell short this year, and we all acknowledge that,” Campbell said. “It’s bitter. But I really don’t believe we’re that far off. There’s a couple of things we can do, and I want to make sure we go after it.”

The hiring of Petzing signals Detroit’s intent to re-ignite an offense that once fueled championship aspirations. With renewed hunger and structural adjustments underway, the Lions are betting that a new voice at offensive coordinator can help propel them back into the NFC playoff picture in 2026.