From the moment Lions fan Ryan Kennedy hired counsel in the aftermath of his in-game altercation with Steelers receiver DK Metcalf, it was obvious this was coming.
Kennedy has sued Metcalf and various others, via Christian Romo of USA Today. The lawsuit focused on the alleged assault — and on the statements made about Kennedy following the December 21 incident.
The civil action, filed on Tuesday, targets Metcalf, the Steelers, and Ford Field management in connection with the assault. Metcalf, Shannon Sharpe, Chad Johnson, and Shay Shay Media were sued for defamation.
Johnson said during an episode of the Nightcap podcast that Kennedy provoked Metcalf by using a racial slur, and by using a misogynistic term in reference to Metcalf’s mother.
“The statements were false and reckless,” the lawsuit alleges. “Plaintiff Kennedy did not call Defendant Metcalf the ‘N-word'; did not call Defendant Metcalf mother a ‘c---'; and did not ever use any racial slurs or hate speech whatsoever. . . . Defendant Metcalf provided false information to Defendant Johnson about what Plaintiff Kennedy allegedly said, thereby instigating and authorizing the publication of the defamatory and reckless statements which were intended to harm Plaintiff Kennedy.”
Kennedy seeks $100 million in damages, along with a “full public retraction and correction of defamatory statements” from Johnson and Sharpe.
Lions Clips
The Lions will have their third offensive coordinator in the last three years for the 2026 season, but the turnover isn’t a problem for quarterback Jared Goff.
Former Cardinals coordinator Drew Petzing is now in charge of the offense in Detroit and Goff said Monday that “quarterbacks who have played for him were glowing” in their reviews of what Petzing brings to the table.
“He’s done it before. He’s been a coordinator. He’s called plays,” Goff said, via NFL.com. “And I think he was a home run hire. And I’m really excited for him.”
John Morton replaced Ben Johnson after Johnson became the head coach of the Bears in January 2025, but his run calling plays ended when head coach Dan Campbell took over those responsibilities during the season. The Lions still finished fourth in the league in points scored, but the unit failed to come through often enough for the Lions to return to the postseason. Goff said he hopes the change leads to a return to the consistency of previous seasons.
“Just consistency and efficiency. Yeah, that’s really it. The years where we were really good, winning 12, 15 games. It was efficient. It was consistent,” Goff said. “We weren’t really having like bad games where I felt like this year we had some bad games offensively. You’re gonna have a bad play or a bad series, that’s gonna happen. But being able to get back on track quickly is something that we need to be able to do. We know we have the players. We know we have everything we need in place. It’s just consistency and raising our standard a little bit and level execution.”
If the Lions can’t bounce back in 2026, chances are good that the changes will be more sweeping than this offseason in Detroit so Goff won’t be the only one hoping that Petzing shines in his new role.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton for the final nine games of last season. Morton and the Lions parted ways after the season.
The Lions hired former Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to replace Morton, and the expectation is that Campbell will relinquish the play-calling duties to Petzing.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that Campbell indicated to offensive coordinator candidates in interviews that he would turn over the play calling to the next OC.
Morton lasted only one season after replacing Ben Johnson, leaving Campbell to hire his fourth different offensive coordinator in his time in Detroit.
“It’s his offense,” General Manager Brad Holmes said of Petzing, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “It’s not something where he’s got to do something else or be like — this is his show, man. So we just felt like it was the best fit for us.”
Two Broncos offensive linemen have been named finalists for the NFL’s inaugural Protector of the Year Award.
Left tackle Garett Bolles and right guard Quinn Meinerz are among the six candidates for the award. The prize is designed to honor the league’s top offensive lineman for a given season.
Bolles and Meinerz are joined as finalists by Dolphins center Aaron Brewer, Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, Lions right tackle Penei Sewell, and Bears left guard Joe Thuney.
The winner will be announced at next week’s NFL Honors show and will be chosen by a panel of former NFL offensive linemen. LeCharles Bentley, Jason Kelce, Shaun O’Hara, Orlando Pace, Will Shields, and Andrew Whitworth make up that panel.
After taking a step back in 2025 and missing the postseason, the Lions have a new direction on offense after hiring coordinator Drew Petzing.
General Manager Brad Holmes said this week that Petzing, who spent the last three seasons as Arizona’s offensive coordinator, “checked all the boxes.”
“Just very sharp, very just open-minded, was able to fit in with the staff,” Holmes told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “Knew some people on the staff already, but look, it’s his offense. It’s not something where he’s got to do something else or be like — this is his show, man. So we just felt like it was the best fit for us.”
Holmes noted that Petzing did an “impressive” job with the Cardinals, particularly with the numerous injury issues the team experienced over the last year. Also in 2023 and 2024, the Cardinals finished with top 10 rushing offenses.
How different will the Lions look in 2026?
“I mean, look, it’s his offense,” Holmes said. “And a lot of it is, what I liked about him is that it’s not a system. … It’s what you do you have, what’s the personnel that you have? Like, what can we do? And so that’s what I think he showed us in that process is that he can maximize personnel of what’s available. So that’s real exciting.”
Plus, the Lions were able to hire Mike Kafka for a high-ranking offensive assistant role. Holmes noted Kafka’s specific title will be worked out later.
“We were really high on Kafka, too, in the process and so to be able to get that one, too, I was just like, ‘Holy cow,’” Holmes said. “So, very, very happy.
“But [Petzing is] just very sharp, very bright, just really liked his attention to detail. He was very well recommended, all the vetting that we did. I mean, all the sources couldn’t speak highly enough about him, and just kind of just really liked what his philosophy was behind the offensive football and how he utilized personnel. So, it just, he just checked all the boxes, man. So we were we were excited about him.”
It’s been percolating for days that, 13 years after his first head-coaching stint ended, Jim Schwartz could be getting a second chance.
Now, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that Schwartz “seems to be gaining momentum” in the Browns’ ongoing search for a head coach.
The 59-year-old Schwartz coached the Lions from 2009 through 2013, with one playoff appearance and a record of 29-51. He arrived in Cleveland in 2023; in his first year, the Browns had the top defense in the league (based on yards per game) but he got no head-coaching interviews.
In the current cycle, only the Browns and Ravens interviewed Schwartz, who coordinated the Eagles defense that won Super Bowl LII.
As one source put it last week to PFT, the Browns have to weigh promoting Schwartz against potentially losing him.
Others in the mix include former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. Those who have withdrawn from consideration include Mike McDaniel, Jesse Minter, and Grant Udinski.
If Schwartz gets the job, his most important hire will be offensive coordinator. Because the offense has been the problem for the Browns in recent years. Thanks to Schwartz, the defense has been better than fine.
Former Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka has found a landing spot for 2026.
Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, Kafka is joining the Lions’ staff as a high-ranking offensive assistant.
Detroit recently hired Drew Petzing to take over as offensive coordinator after the team fired John Morton. While Kafka’s title is not yet known, he will ostensibly work closely with Petzing to revamp the Lions’ offense in the coming season.
Kafka, 38, joined the Giants as offensive coordinator in 2022 after spending most of his coaching career with the Chiefs under head coach Andy Reid. Kafka took over as the team’s interim head coach midway through the 2025 season, leading the club to a 2-5 record over its last seven games.
The Giants interviewed Kafka for their head coaching position, which ultimately went to John Harbaugh. The Eagles also spoke with Kafka about their offensive coordinator vacancy.
The Lions finished 2025 9-8, missing the postseason. The club finished No. 4 in points scored and No. 5 in total yards after former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left the squad to become Bears head coach.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff has been named a Pro Bowler for the fifth time in his career.
The Lions announced on Monday that Goff has been added to the NFC roster as a replacement for Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold will not be available because he will be preparing to play in the Super Bowl.
Goff’s own bid to make it to Super Bowl for the second time in his career ended when the Lions failed to make the playoffs. He was 393-of-578 for 4,564 yards, 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions while starting all 17 games for Detroit.
Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott were the other quarterbacks originally selected for the Pro Bowl from the NFC.
The Ravens have hired Jesse Minter as their head coach and they’re now working on filling one of the most important spots on his staff.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that they will interview Lions assistant head coach Scottie Montgomery for the role. Montgomery is the first known candidate for the job in Baltimore.
Montgomery also coached Detroit’s wide receivers in 2025 and he had the running backs coach role in addition to the assistant head coach title in the previous two seasons. He spent two seasons as the Colts’ running backs coach and he went 9-26 over three seasons as the East Carolina head coach.
Minter’s background is as a defensive coach, so the offensive coordinator hire will be a significant one for a team that is hoping they can finally get over the postseason hump with quarterback Lamar Jackson.
One of the Lions’ offensive linemen is moving on to the next phase of his career.
Dan Skipper announced his retirement on social media on Thursday.
“[Twenty-four] years of putting on pads and a helmet every fall. This year I’ll trade that out to pursue a career on the other side in coaching,” Skipper wrote on Instagram. “The memories and experiences that the NFL has brought me and my family are hard to put into words. Thankful for every person that has been apart of my journey. It’s time for me to “report” as retired. (Sorry I had to do it one last time!)”
Via Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network, Skipper will work with the offensive linemen and tight ends at the upcoming East/West Shrine game.
Skipper, 31, appeared in 69 games with 16 starts since 2017, spending the vast majority of his career with the Lions.
In 2025, he appeared in 12 games with five starts, playing 228 offensive snaps and 60 special teams snaps.
