Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes Breaks Silence On New Offensive Coaches
The Detroit Lions offense took a lot of heat from fans and analysts in 2025. It caused the team to overhaul the offensive staff which led to many wondering, who would really be controlling the offense. The message coming out of the Lions’ front office this week is loud and clear: change is coming, and they are embracing it fully.
Following the hiring of Drew Petzing as the new offensive coordinator and the surprising addition of Mike Kafka to a high-ranking offensive role, Lions General Manager Brad Holmes shed some light on what the future holds. For fans wondering who is really in charge of the play-calling sheet, the answer is definitive.
This isn’t a “collaborative effort” where too many cooks spoil the broth. According to the man in charge of building this roster, this is Petzing’s offense now.
Drew Petzing: Checking Every Box For The Detroit Lions
When an offensive coordinator leaves for a head coaching job, the shoes to fill are massive. The Lions needed someone who wasn’t just a system guy, but a problem solver. According to Brad Holmes Lions GM, Drew Petzing was the perfect fit because he didn’t just bring a playbook; he brought adaptability.
Speaking at the Senior Bowl with the Detroit Free Press, Holmes emphasized that Petzing “checked all the boxes.” But the most interesting nugget was about autonomy. Often, when teams hire new coordinators, there is a lingering question of whether the head coach will meddle or if the new guy has to run the “team’s system.”
Holmes shut that down immediately. “Look, it’s his offense,” Holmes said. “It’s not something where he’s got to do something else or be like—this is his show, man.”
This level of trust is huge. It suggests that Head Coach Dan Campbell and the front office are willing to let the offense evolve. Petzing, who navigated a revolving door of quarterbacks and injuries during his time with the Arizona Cardinals, earned this job by proving he can maximize whatever personnel he has on the field. He doesn’t try to jam square pegs into round holes; he builds the hole around the peg.
Adaptability Over System
One of the biggest takeaways from Holmes’ recent comments is the Lions’ shift away from rigid systems. In the modern NFL, schemes get figured out quickly. What worked in Week 1 might be obsolete by Week 10.
Holmes highlighted this trait in Petzing specifically. “What I liked about him is that it’s not a system,” Holmes explained. “It’s ‘what do you have, what’s the personnel that you have? Like, what can we do?'”
This philosophy aligns perfectly with Dan Campbell’s “grit” mentality. It is about making the best of what you have and finding a way to win. Whether it is continuing to feed Jahmyr Gibbs in space or finding new ways to unlock Jameson Williams downfield, Petzing’s adaptability suggests we might see a more fluid, reactive Lions offense in 2026.
The Surprise Addition: Mike Kafka
Just when we thought the offensive staff was set, the Lions threw a curveball that had everyone double-checking their Twitter feeds. They hired former Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka for a senior offensive role.
The reaction from Brad Holmes? Pure excitement.
“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 admitted.
It is rare to land two high-level play-callers in the same offseason. Adding depth is a massive win. Kafka brings experience developing quarterbacks (having worked with Patrick Mahomes and Daniel Jones) and offers another experienced voice in the room.
While Petzing is running the show, having Kafka as a sounding board creates a “brain trust” on offense that is frankly embarrassing in its richness. It provides insurance, creativity, and a diversity of ideas that should keep opposing defensive coordinators up at night.
What This Means for the Lions’ Future
The hiring of Petzing and Kafka signals that the Lions aren’t interested in maintaining the status quo. They aren’t trying to just replicate the magic of previous seasons; they are trying to evolve.
Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have always been about empowerment. They empower their players to be themselves, and now they are doing the same for their coaches. By handing the keys to Petzing and surrounding him with overqualified talent like Kafka, they are building a resilient infrastructure.
For fans, this should be encouraging. It shows a franchise that is proactive rather than reactive. They identified talent, they secured it, and now they are getting out of the way to let them work.
As we head toward the combine and free agency, the vision is coming into focus. The 2026 Detroit Lions offense won’t look exactly like the 2025 version—and that might be exactly what they need to take the final step.
