The Detroit Lions may not have much room for patience on defense if the early-season problems keep piling up.
Through four games, Kelvin Sheppard’s unit has been near the bottom of the league in several categories, and the issues have been hard to miss. The defense has been out of position too often, and that has turned into explosive plays for opponents. The secondary, in particular, had a rough showing on the national stage Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, which only intensified the conversation around whether this is a coaching issue, a personnel issue, or both.
For now, Sheppard heads into Week 5 with his job under scrutiny. If the Lions decide to make a move, the first answer would probably come from inside the building on an interim basis. But with the season already taking shape around the league, there’s also a bigger picture to consider: several defensive-minded head coaches are already sitting on hot seats, and any one of them could become available if their teams decide to move on.
Todd Bowles is one name to watch.
His run in Tampa Bay started with real promise after he took over for Bruce Arians in 2022 and inherited a roster that included Tom Brady. Since then, though, the results have flattened out.
Bowles has reached the playoffs three times as the Buccaneers’ head coach, but he has won 10 games in only one season. Tampa Bay opened 2025 at 6-2, then dropped 11 of its next 13 games, and now sits at 0-4 to begin this year.
The latest setback came Sunday at home against Green Bay, with Baker Mayfield sidelined by injury.
Bowles does have a strong defensive background, including a Super Bowl win as the Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator before his promotion. If Tampa Bay can’t climb back into what is described as a weak NFC South race, the organization could decide it has to go in another direction. If that happens, Bowles also has a connection to Dan Campbell from their time together with the Miami Dolphins, which could make him an interesting veteran option.
Dan Quinn is another coach whose seat has grown warmer.
His situation is different from Bowles’, mostly because he is only two years removed from a breakout run to the NFC title game in his first season working with Jayden Daniels in Washington. Quinn is in his second head-coaching stint after previously reaching a Super Bowl in six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. That stretch eventually ended after an 0-5 start following two straight losing seasons after the Super Bowl appearance.
Quinn rebuilt some of that stock with three straight years of top-10 defenses as the Dallas Cowboys’ coordinator before landing in Washington for another shot at being a head coach. Injuries have complicated things this time around, though.
Daniels has dealt with elbow injuries early this season and much of last year, leaving Quinn short-handed at the most important position on the field. If Washington keeps slipping and Quinn becomes available, he would be a logical candidate to help steady Detroit’s defense.
Then there’s Aaron Glenn, who may be facing the most pressure of the group.
The Jets are 1-3, and the criticism has centered on game management in key moments. That comes on top of a 3-14 season a year ago, so the heat has been building fast. It also raises an obvious question for Detroit: would Campbell want to bring back the coordinator he worked with for the first four seasons of his Lions tenure?
There is clearly plenty of familiarity there, and that showed in the interactions between Campbell and Glenn before and after the Lions’ Week 3 meeting with the Jets. NFL coaches do not often return to a former stop in the same role, but if Glenn fails to convince the Jets he can handle the head-coaching job, a reunion in Detroit would not be hard to imagine if Sheppard cannot get the defense back on track.
In Other News...
Darius Slay Just Said What Lions Fans Fear About This Secondary
Darius Slay has never been shy about giving his old team an honest evaluation, and his latest comments land at a time when the Lions are still trying to steady a defense that has drawn plenty of scrutiny. The former Detroit cornerback pointed to Carlton Davis as the player he thought fit best in the scheme and said letting him leave in free agency was the clubs biggest recent misstep, a remark that will sound familiar to anyone who has watched the secondary struggle to find consistency.
Slay also took aim at the broader direction of the defense under Kelvin Sheppard, suggesting the issues in the back end go beyond one departure and reflect a need for a different philosophy. He did leave open a sliver of intrigue about his own future, saying he might entertain a return for the right offer, though he made clear he is comfortable with life after football for now. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Pass Defense Problem Could Force A Trade Fans Didn't Expect
Through the first month of the season, the Lions pass defense has been one of the clearest pressure points on the roster, and it has already pushed the front office into the trade market. Detroit has talked with other teams about cornerback Joey Porter Jr., but the search for help could widen if the right deal materializes. One name floating into the conversation is Philadelphia cornerback Riq Woolen, a player with the kind of tools that can change the feel of a secondary in a hurry.
Woolens contract situation and past performance make him an intriguing fit for a team trying to shore up the back end without overcommitting long term. Philadelphias recent roster changes, including the retirement of Lane Johnson and the trade of Cam Jurgens, have also fueled the idea that the Eagles could be willing to keep moving pieces to stockpile future draft capital. For the Lions, the question is whether a move like that is realistic, and whether solving the pass-defense issue will require a swing more aggressive than the one fans expected. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Secondary Problem Is Fueling A Trade Fans Will Want
The Lions search for help in the back end keeps circling back to the trade market, and Kristian Fulton has become one of the more interesting names attached to it. Detroit has already come up short on other cornerback targets, including Joey Porter Jr., which has only sharpened the focus on a defense that could use more stability on the outside. Fultons situation in Kansas City makes him a logical candidate to watch, especially with the kind of midseason deal that can sometimes benefit both teams.
Jeremy Fowler reported that Fulton is not currently a full-time starter for the Chiefs, and that matters for a Detroit team looking for a player who can step in without forcing a massive overhaul. A trade could come together if the teams are willing to split his salary, which gives the Lions a possible path forward if they decide to keep pressing for help. For a secondary still trying to find the right fit, this is the sort of move that can gain momentum quickly if the price is right. [Read more 🡒]