The Detroit Lions made a surprising pivot in their search for a new offensive coordinator, bypassing the buzz around Mike McDaniel and instead hiring Drew Petzing - a move that’s raised eyebrows across the NFL landscape. Some see it as a bold play for untapped potential.
Others? Not so much.
After a rough 2025 campaign in Arizona, Petzing brings both promise and plenty of questions to a Lions offense that’s knocking on the door of elite status.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Petzing’s offense with the Cardinals took a serious step back last season. Injuries certainly played a role - most notably the extended absence of quarterback Kyler Murray - but that wasn’t the only issue. The drop-off in production was steep, and it exposed some cracks in the foundation of Petzing’s system that Detroit fans will want to keep an eye on.
From rising star to rough season
Coming off the 2024 season, Petzing was one of the hottest names in coaching circles. He’d helped engineer a surprisingly competitive Cardinals offense that flirted with a playoff berth, earning league-wide respect and even landing an interview for the Bears’ head coaching job. His stock was soaring.
But 2025 told a different story.
Without Murray for most of the year, Arizona’s offense sputtered. The run game - once a strength - collapsed, averaging just 93.1 rushing yards per game, second-worst in the league.
Their passing efficiency also dipped, finishing in the bottom half of the NFL in Expected Points Added (EPA) per pass. The Cardinals stumbled to a 3-14 record, and the entire coaching staff was shown the door.
What went wrong?
Yes, losing your starting quarterback hurts. But the issues ran deeper than just Murray’s absence.
One of the biggest blows was the departure of offensive line coach Klayton Adams, who left to become the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator. Adams had been a key piece of Petzing’s success in 2024, and without him, the Cardinals’ offensive line struggled mightily.
They gave up more pressure, lost ground in the run game, and couldn’t impose their will the way they had the year before.
Meanwhile, Adams helped turn Dallas into a top-ten rushing attack - a stark contrast to the mess unfolding in Arizona.
That drop-off highlighted a tough truth: Petzing’s offense wasn’t able to stand on its own without a strong supporting cast. The offensive line regressed, the scheme looked disjointed, and the lack of overall talent on the roster became painfully clear.
Can Detroit be different?
Here’s where things get interesting for the Lions. Unlike the situation in Arizona, Petzing steps into a much more stable and talented environment in Detroit - especially up front. Offensive line coach and run game coordinator Hank Fraley has built one of the NFL’s most respected units, and his presence could be exactly what Petzing needs to get his system back on track.
If Fraley can play a similar role to what Adams did in Arizona, the Lions might be able to unlock the version of Petzing that had teams lining up for interviews just a year ago. And let’s not forget: Detroit’s offensive talent is a major step up from what Petzing had to work with in the desert.
Still, Lions fans have every reason to be cautious. Petzing’s 2025 season wasn’t just a blip - it was a significant regression.
And while the circumstances in Detroit are far more favorable, the pressure will be on from Day 1. This is a team with postseason aspirations and a roster built to contend.
The margin for error is slim.
If Petzing can bounce back and tap into the creativity and balance that made his 2024 offense so effective, the hire could pay off in a big way. But if the struggles from last season follow him to Detroit, it could be a costly misstep for a team on the rise.