Jan. 19, 2026, 6:20 p.m. ET

The Detroit Lions have their new offensive coordinator.

The Lions are hiring Drew Petzing as their new offensive coordinator, ending a nearly two-week OC search. Petzing, 38, spent the past three years as the Arizona Cardinals‘ offensive coordinator under then-Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.

As Petzing assumes the Lions’ offensive play-calling reins, it ends the hope that some Detroit fans had of the Lions hiring former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as the franchise’s next OC.

McDaniel interviewed with the Lions for its offensive coordinator opening on Tuesday, Jan. 13, but according to ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, while Lions head coach Dan Campbell liked McDaniel a lot, the Lions didn’t view McDaniel as “quite the right fit for them.”

Darlington described McDaniel to the Lions as the coordinator job that was “least likely to materialize” for McDaniel.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.

McDaniel finished with a 35-33 regular-season record with the Dolphins and led Miami to a pair of playoff appearances in his first two seasons.

With McDaniel as its head coach, Miami ranked as the NFL’s No. 1 total offense and as its No. 2 scoring offense in the 2023 season. In 2025, the Dolphins had the NFL’s No. 13 rushing offense and one of the league’s top five rushers in running back De’Von Achane, who ran for 1,350 yards and eight touchdowns on 238 carries.

Prior to joining Miami, McDaniel spent five seasons with San Francisco where he served as the 49ers’ run game coordinator from 2017-20, and one as offensive coordinator in 2021.

With McDaniel as the 49ers’ offensive coordinator in 2021, San Francisco finished with the NFL’s No. 7 total offense (375.7 yards per game), the No. 7 rushing offense (127.4 rushing), the No. 12 passing offense (248.3 passing) and as the No. 13 scoring offense (25.1 points).

But, that McDaniel ship has now officially sailed away as the Lions have decided to move forward offensively with Petzing.

During Petzing’s three-year run in Arizona, the Cardinals ranked second in the NFL in yards per carry in both the 2023 (5.0) and 2024 (5.3) seasons. Arizona led the NFL in rushes of 20-plus yards in 2023 with 23 runs of 20 yards or more. The Cardinals also tied for the NFL lead with seven runs of 40-plus yards during the 2024 campaign.

Arizona finished with the NFL’s No. 19, No. 11 and No. 19 total offenses and the league’s No. 24, No. 12 and No. 23 scoring offenses across the 2023-25 seasons.

Throughout Campbell’s tenure in Detroit, the Lions’ offense has been led by OC Anthony Lynn in 2021, by now-Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson in 2022-24, Morton in 2025 and now Petzing in 2026.

For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Josh on X, @JoshOnLions