When Detroit Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell spoke to the media on Friday, he was unusually reserved. In the past, he’s always been an open book; exuberant, effusive, and occasionally boastful. However, on Friday, it quickly became obvious that Campbell was not going to be goaded into predicting the team’s success or making any bold statements on the 2026 season.
Dan Campbell Resists Making Bold Statements On the 2026 Lions
When Campbell gave his infamous introductory press conference five years ago, he boasted the team would take on the identity of this city. “We’re going to kick you in the teeth, all right?… When you knock us down, we’re going to get up. And on the way up, we’re going to bite a kneecap off….Before long, we’re going to be the last one standing.”
At the time, Campbell’s comments were mocked. After all, this was the same team that had spent decades in the NFL cellar. But Campbell isn’t making those bold statements any longer. Nor is he committing to specific timelines or expectations for injured players coming back from injury.
Rather than pushing them too hard physically, he wants to make sure they’re physically able to perform. Speaking of Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch, and Kerby Joseph, Campbell clarified, “So, we just want to be smart with these guys, make sure they’re ready to get on the field to do – even though it’s not a lot to be able to do that, we don’t want any setbacks, so there’ll be some guys that don’t read into it. I’ve told you the big three.”
Campbell, Lessons Learned After the 2025 Season
Over the past several years, Campbell and Brad Holmes rebuilt this organization from the ground up to become one of the NFL’s elite. Instead of players thinking of Detroit as the NFL version of purgatory, premier free agent veterans and top-rated Draft prospects pray for the chance to become a member of this team.
However, after a disappointing 2025 season and failing to make the playoffs, a battle-scarred Campbell is more reticent than ever before. During his OTA press conference on Friday, he refused to be baited into making predictions, revealing too much about the health of certain players, or discussing specific roster changes. Downplaying the significance of the OTAs, he declared, “I’m not hyping anybody up, not in May, it’s not worth it,” he declared.
Instead, Campbell referred to the OTAs as a “pajama party” and was brief, blunt, and unusually cautious in his remarks. “I mean, there have been a lot of guys that have done really well, for two days in pajamas. And then there are some that are learning through it, they’re working through it, they’re learning. But I’m done with the hype of the pajama party in May. So, man, it’s about the mental, it’s about the movement skills, all that other stuff doesn’t matter. And then we’ll find out in training camp who’s who.”
What Campbell Revealed About Injured Players
When asked about the team’s plans for when key injured personnel would return to practice, Campbell declined to give a timeline. That wasn’t the focus, right now. Allowing the players to continue to improve and rehab was the priority. He also cautioned the media not to assume anything based on who sat out OTAs.
Campbell stated emphatically, “So don’t read into all that. ‘I saw so-and-so on field two.’ OK. Doesn’t mean anything; the guys know that, too. So, we’re working through it. This time of year is about communication, man, working your craft, getting better at what you do, and then man, learning to work with a guy next to you, whoever that is. Nobody’s going to win a job in the spring. So that’s where we’re at. Kerby, Branch, LaPorta, they’re all improving. None of them are practicing. It’s the best I can tell you.”
Taking Precautions To Avoid Rookie Preseason Injuries
After doing a deep dive into the reasons behind the failed 2025 season, one of the takeaways focused on how many players were injured before the season even began. During training camp, DL Levi Onwuzurike suffered an ACL injury, ending his season. Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw and Dan Jackson, a rookie safety, both suffered season-ending camp injuries as well. TE Kenny Yeboah, only recently acquired from the New York Jets, suffered a serious knee injury in the Lions’ first preseason game. He was released with an injury settlement. Running back Kye Robichaux was also waived with an injury designation; however, he’s back this season.
Canceling The Rookie Minicamp
Trying to lessen the risk of preseason injuries this year, Campbell implemented several changes. Canceling the rookie minicamp, he noted how the rigors of preparing for the NFL Combine took a lot out of them physically.“They’re not ready for football, not really. Even on a limited basis. Now it’s good you get them acclimated, you get them on the field. At least it’s your kind of first chance to do those things. And you can bring in some other guys, some veteran guys, some tryout guys, and you may find somebody you like. So, you get a little bit of that, but it’s not worth it anymore.”
When the rookies take the field for the first time, struggling to keep up with NFL veterans, Campbell didn’t see a benefit from putting inexperienced players in that situation. Referring to the rigorous competition last year, he noted, “And really, the straw that broke the camel’s back last year was, it was the first walkthrough; we had guys all over the ground, so the League didn’t take too kindly to that, and it’s not worth it. It’s just not worth it. So, let’s get them ready, let’s physically get them ready to where they can get with the rest of the guys and look like football players a little bit.”
Learning From The Past And Moving Forward
Reflecting on the mistakes made and the lessons learned from the 2025 season, Campbell noted, “Sometimes you’re trying to adjust, you’re trying to help yourself… but then you’re becoming something you don’t want to be… more importantly, it’s about doing the little things right, not beating yourself and getting our confidence back, man. And there’s only one way to do that. You’ve got to prove to yourself you can win, you can win tight games, situational football. And the only way to do it is do it in real time. You do the best you can to prep yourself and practice for it. But when the real bullets are flying, that’s when you got to do it.”
Instead of making predictions or bold statements, Campbell prefers to just let the results speak for themselves.
