Feb. 13, 2026, 9:40 p.m. ET
On Thursday, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Detroit Lions blocked the Miami Dolphins‘ attempt to interview Lions offensive assistant Bruce Gradkowski for the Dolphins‘ quarterbacks coach position.
After the Lions blocked the Dolphins’ interview request, Miami ended up hiring Mississippi State associate head coach Bush Hamdan as its new quarterbacks coach.
The Lions’ decision to block the Dolphins’ interview request is a rare move by the franchise and an illustration of the level of respect that Detroit has for Gradkowski’s work in the organization. Lions head coach Dan Campbell isn’t one to get in the way of career advancement, so it does feel like a clear indication on how Campbell and Detroit value Gradkowski.
The Lions were able to block the Dolphins’ interview request because Gradkowski’s offensive assistant role and the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach position are both considered positional coaching jobs, meaning it would have been a lateral move. NFL teams are permitted to block interview requests on lateral moves.
Gradkowski just finished his first season as an offensive assistant with the Lions. Prior to joining Detroit, Gradkowski spent two seasons (2023-24) as the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Battlehawks, who spent the 2024 season in the UFL and the 2023 season in the XFL.
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Gradkowski spent the 2022 season as an offensive analyst at Toledo, the 2021 season as the head coach of St. Francis de Sales High School (Toledo, Ohio) and was a volunteer assistant quarterbacks coach at Anthony Wayne High School (Whitehouse, Ohio) from 2017-18.
Gradkowski was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL draft. The Toledo alum would appear in 37 career games and start 20, completing 52.9% of his passes for 4,057 yards and 21 touchdowns.
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