Burning Question: Are Lions Players Buying Into Strictly Business Approach?

The Detroit Lions should have not have any difficulties buying into the strictly business approach head coach Dan Campbell wants to implement this season.

After missing out on the playoffs, the roster has a renewed hunger to get back on track and to prove that last season was an anomoly, not the new normal.

Campbell was asked if the roster was buying into the approach to start offseason workouts.

"Well look, it's not that hard. I mean, our guys, that's the good news is, it doesn't take – our guys know and our guys know we've got the right guys. That's why we've, you guys know who they are. That's why it's (offensive tackle Penei) Sewell and (linebacker) Jack (Campbell) and (QB Jared) Goff and (defensive end Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch," said Campbell. "And we can keep going, we can keep going. So those are our guys, and then let's bring in some competitive guys that we feel like fit what we're about. We try to do that every year. And man, they'll mesh with those other guys. It'll be good."

Quarterback Jared Goff indicated the roster will follow suit and their belief in the sixth-year head coach remains strong.

"It has been awesome. I think he has done a good job of leading the troops like he always does and we follow suit," said Goff. "To some capacity, yeah there are some things like that maybe. We are always trying to get better and try to improve. I think we are hungry. We were a fourth-place team last year and we need to come out and play a lot better this year."

Results of deep dive

The former NFL tight end was asked at his first media session prior to OTAS if he found anything from his deep dive this offseason to implement or omit this year.

"There are so many things that go into it there. It's not just one thing when things don't go the way you want them to, it's not just one, just like it's not one player, it's not one coach," said Campbell. "It takes everybody to win, and it takes everybody to probably lose, unfortunately. But I do think, man, just getting back to a little bit of the no nonsense. It's a lot easier when nobody knows who you are."

After finishing 2025 on the outside looking in during the postseason, Detroit is flying under the radar heading into 2026.

"I'm talking about us as a team and all that, because now you kind of fly right under the radar," Campbell explained. "But then the better you do, the more you do, the more hype, the more you're doing this, you're doing this, this player gets paid, this coach, this whatever, this coach moves on now and it's all this other stuff that has nothing to do with what got us to that point that gave everybody, we all reap the benefits of that.

I"t's just a little bit, let's get back to that, man. Let's just get back to the business of what it's, it's about football first and foremost, and it's about the guy next to you. That's it, that's it."

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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 1:00 PM.