Report: Lions hiring Cardinals' Petzing as OC
The Detroit Lions are finalizing a deal to hire Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing as their next OC, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Lions have been looking for a new offensive coordinator since parting with John Morton at the end of the regular season. Morton lasted only one season as Detroit's OC and was fired after the team missed the playoffs in its first year without Ben Johnson in charge of the offense.
The 2025 Lions ranked fourth in points scored, but Dan Campbell took Morton's play-calling duties midway through the season. Petzing is expected to call plays for Detroit in 2026.
Petzing has been with the Cardinals since the 2023 season. The 38-year-old first joined the NFL as a football operations intern for the Cleveland Browns in 2013, and he's had multiple roles with different teams throughout his career.
Arizona didn't boast a dominant offensive unit under Petzing's watch, ranking 23rd in EPA/play this past regular season. However, Petzing encountered challenges at quarterback and other premium positions that presumably won't be issues for him on the Lions.
Petzing's best season with Arizona came in 2024, when the team ranked 10th in EPA/play and 12th in scoring.