{"id":920748,"date":"2026-06-16T20:54:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T20:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/920748\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T20:54:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T20:54:16","slug":"dan-campbell-reveals-what-excites-him-most-about-detroit-lions-training-camp-battles-at-mandatory-minicamp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/920748\/","title":{"rendered":"Dan Campbell reveals what excites him most about Detroit Lions training camp battles at mandatory minicamp"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALLEN PARK, Mich. \u2013 Detroit Lions<\/a> head coach Dan Campbell<\/a> opened mandatory minicamp, expressing optimism about his team\u2019s health, roster competition, and the continued development of several young players as preparations for training camp begin.<\/p>\n

Campbell said on Tuesday (June 16) there were no significant new injury concerns entering minicamp, with only the team\u2019s usual group of recovering players unavailable for full participation. <\/p>\n

Tight end Sam LaPorta<\/a> is progressing as expected and remains on track to be ready for the start of training camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe like where he\u2019s going,\u201d said Campbell. \u201cHe\u2019s trending the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lions also welcomed back several players who had recently been sidelined by illness, helping bolster participation for the two-day minicamp.<\/p>\n

Competition heats up along offensive, defensive lines<\/p>\n

Competition remains a central theme throughout the roster, particularly along the offensive and defensive lines. <\/p>\n

Campbell said the coaching staff is eager to see battles intensify once training camp begins and contact resumes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see what it\u2019s going to be, what it can become going into training camp,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cWhen it becomes live and real bullets are flying, that fires us up.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the most closely watched competitions will be at left guard. Campbell confirmed the position remains open despite Christian Mahogany<\/a> taking the majority of first-team reps during organized team activities.<\/p>\n

Mahogany, entering his third NFL season, has shown promise after appearing in several games last year, but Campbell emphasized that veterans and younger players alike will have opportunities to earn the role.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a reason why we brought in competition,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to let this thing go and see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campbell on balance, burnout, brotherhood with coaching staff<\/p>\n

Campbell also addressed the challenges of balancing the demands of coaching with personal well-being during the offseason.<\/p>\n

Asked how he avoids burnout, the typically energetic coach joked, \u201cI just burn to ashes and then come back up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campbell acknowledged the consuming nature of coaching but said experience has helped him become more mindful of finding balance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis job is consuming,\u201d he said. \u201cBut that\u2019s because we love it. It\u2019s addictive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part of that balance included a recent annual retreat with his coaching staff and their families in northern Michigan. Campbell described the trip as an opportunity for coaches and their spouses to reconnect and recharge before the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re like brothers,\u201d Campbell said of his coaching staff. \u201cTo be able to bring the wives and everybody together and just kick back and relax, it always helps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campbell also reflected on what a championship would mean to Detroit, comparing the city\u2019s passionate fan base to those that have endured long waits for titles elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re striving for,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cIt\u2019s about winning a championship. That\u2019s why we\u2019re in this business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Young players drawing praise heading into training camp<\/p>\n

Several young players drew praise from Campbell, including wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa<\/a>, who emerged as a trusted contributor late last season. <\/p>\n

Campbell said TeSlaa\u2019s growth has continued throughout the offseason.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just steady. He\u2019s consistent,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cHe feels like a veteran right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Campbell also highlighted running back Sione Vaki<\/a>\u2018s athleticism and potential versatility, though he noted the former college defender is still developing at the position after limited opportunities due to injuries.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he helps us move the football and win, we\u2019re going to find a way to put him on the field,\u201d Campbell said.<\/p>\n

Defensive back Dan Jackson<\/a> and linebacker Colby Sorsdal<\/a> also remain players the organization is watching closely after injuries limited their development. <\/p>\n

Campbell said both will benefit most from gaining live repetitions during training camp and preseason games.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur eyes are open,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cHe\u2019s got an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coaching staff adjustments round out minicamp conversations<\/p>\n

Campbell concluded by discussing adjustments within the coaching staff. <\/p>\n

With Jim O\u2019Neil<\/a> taking on assistant head coach responsibilities alongside associate head coach Scottie Montgomery<\/a>, Campbell said some of his own duties will be delegated, while Montgomery will remain one of his primary trusted advisers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re fortunate,\u201d Campbell said. \u201cAs a head coach, to have both of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lions will conclude mandatory minicamp on Wednesday before breaking for the summer ahead of training camp.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ALLEN PARK, Mich. \u2013 Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell opened mandatory minicamp, expressing optimism about his team\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":920749,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2071],"tags":[644,6288,6214,2852,146,113,2506,7,842,23892,147,6,7472,18176,1735],"class_list":["post-920748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-detroit-lions","tag-christian-mahogany","tag-colby-sorsdal","tag-dan-campbell","tag-dan-jackson","tag-detroit","tag-detroit-lions","tag-detroitlions","tag-football","tag-isaac-teslaa","tag-jim-oneil","tag-lions","tag-nfl","tag-sam-laporta","tag-scottie-montgomery","tag-sione-vaki"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116761779444738091","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/920748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=920748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/920748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/920749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=920748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=920748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=920748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}