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.”
