Jan. 20, 2026, 6:45 a.m. ET
The Detroit Lions’ new offensive coordinator, Drew Petzing, doesn’t have a prior connection to Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
Petzing, who spent the past three seasons as the Arizona Cardinals‘ offensive coordinator, replaces John Morton after just one season in the OC post with the Lions.
While Petzing doesn’t have a tie to Lions head coach Dan Campbell, Petzing briefly coached with and is very close to former Lions offensive coordinator and now-Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson. Petzing and Johnson were graduate assistants together at Boston College during the 2010 college football season before their careers took them in different directions.
Petzing was a groomsen in Johnson’s wedding, per ESPN’s Field Yates.
Petzing brings a track record to Detroit that looks like it could pair well with standout running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
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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.
In 2025, Petzing had to keep the Cardinals’ offense afloat as it dealt with a litany of injuries, including starting quarterback Kyler Murray missing 12 games, running back James Conner missing 14 games, receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. missing five games and offensive linemen Paris Johnson Jr., Evan Brown, Will Hernandez and Jonah Williams combining to miss 29 games.
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