Dan Campbell

The Detroit Lions are promoting linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to defensive coordinator, replacing Aaron Glenn, who left to become the New York Jets head coach, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

Sheppard, now in his eighth year as an NFL coach, will step into the role in his third season working alongside head coach Dan Campbell.

The 37-year-old former middle linebacker spent eight seasons in the NFL, beginning his professional career with the Buffalo Bills before playing for four other teams.

Sheppard finished his career with Detroit, playing one season in 2018. He appeared in seven games and recorded five tackles.

Prior to his retirement, Sheppard had a standout season with the Miami Dolphins in 2015, recording 105 total tackles, including 75 solo, 13 tackles for loss and two passes defended.

The former third-round pick out of LSU in 2011 had been favored for the promotion since Glenn's departure last week.

After spending a few seasons learning under Glenn, Sheppard felt ready to step into the role at the conclusion of the season.

"Yes. I would be lying to you saying no. Absolutely, and that's what happens here. It's not just the players within in the building, but it's the coaches as well," Sheppard said when asked about running his own defense, per Sports Illustrated's John Maakaron. "I'm very appreciative of the way Dan, Brad and A.G. have structured this thing to put you in leadership roles within your own right, within your room. As many times as A.G. allows me to speak in front of the entire defense, they don't have to do those things. I have friends that coach in other buildings, and I know they are not afforded those opportunities, so I don't take them lightly."

Sheppard clearly has Glenn's stamp of approval, having excelled as Detroit's linebackers coach.

"He's fiery, everything that you need as a linebacker coach, he's that," Glenn said, per Maakaron. "And there are certain coaches on the staff that I think have to be bulldogs and he's one of those coaches at that position, along with D-line, O-line and running back. You have to be a fricking bulldog and he does a good job of that."

Campbell and the No. 1-seeded Lions suffered a heartbreaking 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional Round. However, with Sheppard taking over as defensive coordinator next season, the team will undoubtedly be in good hands.

The NFL is a league that's always following a trend, so it's not a surprise the Detroit Lions' success under Dan Campbell has every team trying to find that.

Appearing on Thursday's episode of SportsCenter, ESPN's Adam Schefter explained how "everybody" in the NFL "is looking to mimic" what Campbell has done in the context of the New York Jets hiring Aaron Glenn as their new head coach:

"The New York Jets are quite happy this morning to get a guy that they know very well, a former first-round draft pick of the organization, started his career in scouting for the New York Jets. Always has had his eye on that organization, and they have had their eye on him. After interviewing any number of candidates, the Jets determined that Aaron Glenn was the one that they wanted to hire. The people around him in Detroit say that he is a carbon copy of Dan Campbell, and everybody around the league is looking to mimic the type of success that Dan Campbell has had in Detroit. So, the Jets bring in Aaron Glenn on a five-year deal that contractually ties him to the organization through 2029. We talked about leader of men, Aaron Glenn is a leader of men and he's now the New York Jets' leader of men moving forward."

Glenn spent the past four seasons on Campbell's staff as defensive coordinator in Detroit. The defense ranked in the bottom half of the league in points allowed per game in his first three seasons before jumping up to seventh this season.

It's easy for every team to say they want a Campbell-type coach. He has passion and energy for the job, while showing the ability to lead a full-scale rebuild without panicking. The Lions were 4-19-1 through his first 24 games, which would have had most coaches on the hot seat.

Detroit has since won 35 of its last 44 regular-season games since Week 9 of the 2022 season.

In a results-based industry, every organization is also looking to find what's working. This is especially true if you're a team that doesn't have an elite quarterback. It's easy to want what the Kansas City Chiefs have, but that requires a quarterback of Patrick Mahomes' caliber.

Instead, what teams do is look at clubs winning despite not having a top-tier quarterback. It's been a running joke for years that any coach who ever stood in the same room with Sean McVay was at least going to get interviewed for a coaching vacancy.

So far this offseason, the Lions are the team that everyone is poaching coaches from. Glenn was hired by the Jets. Ben Johnson is taking over as head coach of the Chicago Bears. Defensive line coach Terrell Williams has been hired as defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots.

Glenn probably be won't be exactly like Campbell because he has to establish his own identity, but his experience working with him should only help as he is set to become a head coach for the first time.

The Jets certainly hope Glenn can have a Campbell-like impact on their team because they desperately need stability after a chaotic 2024. They finished with a 5-12 record and missed the playoffs for the 14th consecutive year.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell confidently told Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell they would see each other in two weeks after their teams faced each other in Week 18 of the regular season.

So much for that.

Detroit and Minnesota went a combined 0-2 in the playoffs with the Vikings losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round and the Lions losing to the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round where Campbell initially thought he would see O'Connell.

Social media had some fun with the situation after Washington's win on Saturday:

It is rather shocking both teams were eliminated so quickly.

After all, that Week 18 game was for the NFC's No. 1 seed and the first-round bye that came with it. Both looked like Super Bowl contenders throughout the majority of the regular season, and the Lions ended up with that top seed with a 15-2 record.

Minnesota wasn't far behind at 14-3.

Yet the Lions defense had no chance against the Commanders on Saturday, as Jayden Daniels went 22-of-31 for 299 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions while also running for 51 yards. Throw in two rushing touchdowns for Brian Robinson Jr. and another for Jeremy McNichols, and the end result was a 45-31 win for the visitors.

Washington's defense was far from dominant on the other side, but it turned Detroit over five times with opportunistic play that made the difference.

As for the Vikings, their offense could never establish a rhythm against a Rams defense that sacked Sam Darnold nine times during a 27-9 win.

The Vikings turned it over twice and found the end zone just once, which was all the more concerning since they did not score a single touchdown in their 31-9 loss to the Lions to end the regular season.

It was a finish that brought Darnold's immediate future with the organization under the spotlight instead of bringing the two NFC North teams back together in the Divisional Round like Campbell expected.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is taking responsibility after the No. 1 seed Lions suffered a 45-31 divisional round playoff loss to the Washington Commanders on Saturday.

"It's my fault. It's my fault," Campbell told reporters after the loss.

Campbell and the Lions faced a dominant Jayden Daniels who posted 299 yards, completing 22-of-31 passes for two touchdowns while taking zero sacks and not throwing an interception.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw for 313 yards, completing 23-of-40 passes for one touchdown, three interceptions and one fumble for a loss. Wide receiver Jameson Williams also tossed an interception.

Despite Goff's struggles with turnovers and the defense's inability to find a way to stop the Commanders' offense, Campbell was visibly emotional at the podium postgame as he took full responsibility for the loss.

"It hurts," Campbell continued. "At the end of the day, I didn't have them ready."

The Lions gave up three first downs to the Commanders due to penalties, committed five turnovers in total and converted only three of their six red-zone opportunities.

Prior to their loss, the Lions were 15-2, showcasing a dominant regular season before falling to the 12-5 Commanders at home.

"It's not the time to talk about what a great year (it was)... because at this moment, I don't think any of us feel that way," Campbell said.

Campbell had previously made headlines in May, telling reporters that the Lions were aiming for the Super Bowl and nothing less ahead of the season.

"I don't see bust, I see Super Bowl. I don't know what bust is," Campbell told reporters in May. "Every team ought to have that. Every team ought to be like 'Man, what are you playing for? You're playing for a Super Bowl.' We're no different than that."

With the Lions heading into an earlier offseason than anticipated, they will need to evaluate what went wrong in their final outing of the 2024-25 season.

David Montgomery is on pace to play on Saturday when the Detroit Lions take on the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional Round, returning from an MCL injury that cost him the final three games of the regular season.

The veteran running back managed to avoid surgery to repair the injury, though the alternative path was a physically taxing rehabilitation program that Montgomery described as "pretty strenuous," per ESPN's Eric Woodyard.

At the time of the injury, the expectation was that Montgomery would require surgery, but he received three different medical opinions before choosing rehab.

"I think the speculation that I was getting surgery or that was kind of the end-all, be-all. Nobody really ever knew," he added. "So when it got put out, I didn't know that I was getting surgery. So the media told me, so it was news to me, but I'm always pretty confident in who I am and how I prepare."

His return is excellent news for the Lions. Montgomery has been the thunder to Jahmyr Gibbs' lighting in Detroit's backfield, rushing for 775 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. In two seasons with the team, he's rushed for 1,790 yards in 28 games and found the end zone 25 times.

While the Lions have dealt with a rash of injuries, especially on the defensive side of the ball, the team will have its most dangerous offensive playmakers available against Washington.

"It'll mean a lot," Campbell said of Montgomery's return. "[He's] a big part of us. He's a huge part of us, and to me, he's a bell cow. He's somebody that is a tone-setter. He's a catalyst, so there's a place for him. There's a place for him here, so there'll be a place for him in this game. So it's going to be good to get him back."

Good for Detroit, at least. Maybe not so much for the Commanders.

The Detroit Lions are the No. 1 seed in the NFC and two wins away from reaching the Super Bowl, but their coaching staff could look quite different in 2025.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport appeared on Tuesday's episode of the Dan Patrick Show (4:40 mark) and said there is a "pretty good chance" the NFC North team loses offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to teams with head-coaching vacancies this offseason.

He pointed out Johnson has "been in command for a couple years" and highlighted the "culture" and "leadership" Glenn has developed with the defense.

"To me, he's the guy who is most of an extension of Dan Campbell on the staff," Rapoport said of Glenn. "I think he's got a really good chance to get one of these jobs as well."

The Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints are all looking for new head coaches as of Tuesday, meaning there are a number of different landing spots for both coordinators.

Johnson is surely intriguing to teams with young quarterbacks such as the Bears, Patriots and Jaguars given his offensive background and innovative approach to play-calling, while Glenn has likely turned plenty of heads this season while leading a Lions defense that has dealt with a number of injuries.

Glenn was at his best Sunday as the Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 and clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Quarterback Sam Darnold has been largely excellent this season but went just 18-of-41 for 166 yards in the loss as the Vikings failed to score anything but field goals.

That type of pressure-packed performance from the defense only improved Glenn's chances at landing a head-coaching job.

As for the Lions, Campbell will surely still be the head coach in 2025 as he looks to continue the incredible turnaround of the franchise in what will be his fifth season. He just might have to do so without his two top assistants that have helped build the success in Detroit.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell believes defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn should be an NFL head coach next year.

"Glenn is as good a coach as you're going to find, he's an even better human being," he told reporters. "If nobody wants him I'll take him again, I can tell you that right now, but the thought of going through another cycle and he's not somebody's head coach is ridiculous. This guy's as good as they come. He can do it all. He understands how to manage a game. He understands offense, defense, special teams. He knows how to communicate. He understands discipline of players. And he's motivated, he's inspiring. I don't want to lose him, but I also root for the guy because I think he's a hell of a coach."

The 52-year-old Glenn will have his share of interest around the NFL, with a number of teams already requesting to interview him:

The Lions suffered a number of injuries on defense this past season, including losing star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson for the season, but still finished seventh in the NFL in points allowed (20.1 PPG), a testament to Glenn's scheme.

His fourth year on the job was arguably his most impressive, and the Lions are the top seed in the NFC and are a major threat to win the first Super Bowl in franchise history (or at least reach the Super Bowl for the first time ever). Glenn held a depleted defense together and should be one of the top candidates for the six teams in need of a head coach.

There was concern that Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery would miss the remainder of the season when he suffered a knee injury during his team's Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills, but that will not be the case.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters Tuesday the expectation is Montgomery will be available to take the field in the NFC Divisional Round.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Dec. 19 that Montgomery visited with multiple medical experts, which led to optimism he would avoid season-ending surgery on the setback and potentially return for the playoffs.

Detroit clinched a first-round bye and the No. 1 seed in the NFC with Sunday's win over the Minnesota Vikings, so Montgomery and the rest of the injured Lions have an extra week to rest and prepare for the next round.

That extra week is proving important, as the veteran running back will be available.

He was a key piece of the team's offense this season and tallied 775 rushing yards, 341 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 14 games. He and Jahmyr Gibbs make up arguably the best one-two running back punch in the league and complement each other well with their different skill sets.

Montgomery is a physical runner who the Lions can rely on near the goal line and in short-yardage situations even though he can still be a threat in the aerial attack. Gibbs has more explosion and is a candidate to take it the distance every time he touches the ball.

Gibbs has elevated his game since Montgomery's injury with 487 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns in three games against the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers and Vikings. He was unstoppable in the clutch game against Minnesota with four total touchdowns.

The Lions are loaded with weapons with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and Jameson Williams even without Montgomery. Adding yet another offensive playmaker to that group in the postseason with the running back's return is a nightmare for opposing defenses.

They will now be forced into situations where they have to pick their poison even more as Detroit looks to take advantage of all that firepower and win a Super Bowl.