Lions Rising Star Coach Put On Notice Entering Crucial Year 2
· Yahoo Sports
The Detroit Lions lost both coordinators, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, after the 2024 season. When they took a step back in 2025, they moved on from offensive coordinator John Morton, but they retained defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.
That might have been a mistake, according to John Maakaron of Lions OnSI. Maakaron notes that the defense dropped off significantly last season.
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“Sheppard did not have a good first season leading Detroit’s defense,” Maakaron wrote. “The run defense was surprisingly inconsistent, and the defensive line failed to step up late in the season, when the team was making their push to earn a spot in the postseason.”
Maakaon adds that the Lions did not make enough significant upgrades to the roster to overcome the issues. He notes that the defensive coordinator might not be afforded enough time after a disappointing first year, and questions entering the second year.
“The stakes are too high and nobody can afford to learn on the job,” wrote Maakaon. “If the defense does not execute and prevents the Lions from playing complementary football, Campbell may be forced to make a change.”
Campbell has been high on Sheppard, and he has been viewed as a rising assistant in the NFL. However, now he has to show an improved unit.
Detroit Lions Defensive Coordinator Kelvin Sheppard Is On the Hot Seat
GettyDetroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard may be on the hot seatMost across the NFL view Sheppard as one of the rising assistants in the NFL, which is why it would be such a bold call for the team to move on from him this season. The Athletic recently named him as one of the top 50 names in the NFL under the age of 40.
“A former linebacker and eight-year NFL veteran, Sheppard has quickly climbed the ranks on Detroit’s staff, proving himself as a talent evaluator, teacher and leader,” wrote Jourdan Rodrigue. “Despite entering only his second season as a coordinator, Sheppard is on the head coach track, having interviewed for the Dolphins job this past winter.”
Sheppard being so young and an ascending coach is what bought him a second-year. This was not the first stint that Morton had as a playcaller. However, there is a line between time to grow on the job and a Lions defense that is holding the offense back. The offense has too much potential to be held back by the defense.
Lions Believe in Kelvin Sheppard
Sheppard was in the NFL from 2011 through 2018. In 2014 and 2015, he played with Dan Campbell on the Miami Dolphins. Campbell was the interim coach for the Dolphins in 2015, so the connection between the two has been here for more than a decade.
Sheppard was at LSU in a front office role before Campbell got the Lions head coach job. He called on the former player he used to coach to join the staff as the outside linebackers coach. He went from outside linebackers to all of the linebackers in his second year. Then, in 2025, he was promoted to defensive coordinator.
Campbell believes in him, and he has been fast-tracked. Can he continue to do enough to avoid the hot seat?
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