When the Detroit Lions hired Drew Petzing as their new offensive coordinator, they weren’t just looking for a play-caller.

They were looking for someone who sees the game the way quarterbacks do, the way defenses do, and most importantly, the way elite playmakers want their coordinator to see it.

Petzing’s calling card around the league is simple but dangerous: identify where defenses are vulnerable and relentlessly force them to defend those weak spots. With players like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta already thriving in Detroit, that philosophy could push the Lions offense to another level in 2026.

A Coordinator Who Sees Holes Others Miss

One thing that stands out when former players talk about Petzing is how deeply he understands defensive structure. He doesn’t just teach concepts, he teaches why defenses behave the way they do.

Kirk Cousins, who worked with Petzing in Minnesota, once described how Petzing reframed a coverage Cousins hated seeing.

“I had a conversation once about a coverage that I don’t like to face that I always said was really, really tough,” Cousins said via the Detroit Free Press. “He said, ‘Kirk, it may be tough but it’s loose.’”

That phrase stuck because it perfectly captures Petzing’s approach. No coverage is airtight. Every defense leaves space somewhere. The job of the offense is to find it before the ball is snapped and punish it after.

Football Was Always the Destination

Petzing’s rise through the coaching ranks wasn’t fast or glamorous, and that’s part of what shaped his perspective. In an exclusive interview with the Detroit Free Press, Petzing explained how close he once came to a completely different career path.

“All these people, their interest and their desire to do these things is not mine,” Petzing told the Free Press, reflecting on a summer spent in a business program. “I can do it, but I didn’t love it, I didn’t enjoy it… if I can make this happen, I need to make this happen cause this is 100 times better than whatever that was.”

That clarity shows up in how he coaches. Petzing doesn’t force ideas. He builds around people. Former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson believes that approach will translate seamlessly in Detroit.

“I think what Drew does is he’s going to put his best players in a chance to showcase what they do,” Johnson said.

That philosophy aligns perfectly with Detroit’s offensive identity.

Why Amon-Ra St. Brown Fits This System So Well

Amon-Ra St. Brown already wins with intelligence, leverage, and toughness. What Petzing brings is a plan to ensure those traits are constantly stressed against the defense’s weakest link.

St. Brown’s ability to line up anywhere, read coverage on the fly, and adjust routes based on leverage makes him an ideal centerpiece for a coordinator who values matchup control. Instead of simply “feeding” him targets, Petzing’s offense is designed to force defenses into bad choices, whether that means isolating a nickel corner, dragging a linebacker into space, or manipulating safeties with formation and motion.

That’s how volume turns into efficiency, and efficiency turns into dominance.

Sam LaPorta Could Become the Ultimate Mismatch

If there’s one player who stands to benefit most from Petzing’s arrival, it might be Sam LaPorta.

Petzing has a long history working with tight ends and quarterbacks, and his Arizona offenses leaned heavily on creating favorable tight end looks. Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, who flourished under Petzing, didn’t hide his excitement about what this could mean for Detroit.

“Obviously, we had a lot of success under him,” McBride said. “So I think he’s a great coordinator and I’m excited to see what he can do with all the weapons there in Detroit.”

LaPorta’s combination of size, speed, and awareness already makes him difficult to defend. In a system that prioritizes finding coverage stress points, he could become a weekly problem defenses simply can’t solve.

Jared Goff Is a Natural Fit, Too

Another important piece of this puzzle is Jared Goff. Petzing’s offenses thrive on clarity, timing, and married concepts, all things that allow Goff to play fast and confident.

According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Goff plans to spend significant time with Petzing this offseason reshaping the Lions playbook, a familiar process that mirrors what happened when Ben Johnson first took over.

That collaboration matters. When the quarterback and coordinator see the game through the same lens, matchup advantages show up earlier and mistakes happen less often.

What This Means for the Lions in 2026

Detroit doesn’t need a radical overhaul on offense. The pieces are already there.

What Drew Petzing offers is refinement, intentionality, and a relentless focus on exploiting defensive weaknesses. With Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta at the center of that vision, the Lions offense could become even more precise, more efficient, and more difficult to defend than it has ever been.

And if Petzing’s reputation holds true, defenses won’t just be reacting.

They’ll be guessing.

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