The Detroit Lions coaching staff will look a lot different in 2025, as the franchise will have new faces in both coordinator roles and will also have a plethora of new position coaches.
Detroit has already replaced Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, as head coach Dan Campbell hired now-former Denver Broncos pass game coordinator John Morton as offensive coordinator and promoted linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to defensive coordinator.
As the Lions add to their staff, they also continue to lose coaches. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Detroit’s tight ends coach Steve Heiden is following Glenn to the New York Jets and will become the team’s offensive line.
Pelissero also adds that Glenn is eyeing Lions pass game coordinator Tanner Engstrand as New York’s next offensive coordinator, which would be another crushing blow to Detroit’s coaching staff.
“With Tanner Engstrand the favorite to come aboard as offensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn is building out his own version of Detroit’s offense in New York,” Pelissero posted on X on Wednesday.
The #Jets agreed to terms with #Lions TE coach Steve Heiden as their new offensive line coach, per source.
With Tanner Engstrand the favorite to come aboard as offensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn is building out his own version of Detroit’s offense in New York. pic.twitter.com/XV15TQYdMs
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 29, 2025
Heiden served as the Lions tight ends coach for two seasons and will now receive a well-deserved promotion with the Jets. New York parted ways with Keith Carter as offensive line coach on Wednesday and found his replacement on the same day.
Engstrand started as an offensive assistant for Detroit in 2020 and has worked his way up in the organization, serving as the passing game coordinator since 2023.
With the amount of success the Lions have had over the last two seasons, it isn’t surprising that the franchise is losing a bunch of integral assistant coaches who are getting promotions elsewhere. We’ll see how Campbell builds out the rest of Detroit’s staff for the 2025 season.
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