Drew Petzing isn’t hiding what he wants this Lions offense to look like.
The new Detroit offensive coordinator has made his lean toward tight-end-heavy personnel pretty clear, and Thursday’s comments only sharpened that picture. Petzing said the offense has to be built on a certain edge.
"It needs to be physical, it needs to be tough and it needs to be multiple, at times", Petzing said.
That fits the profile he brought with him from Arizona. Last season, according to Sumer Sports, Petzing’s Cardinals used “13” personnel - three tight ends - at the third-highest rate and on the third-most plays. In 2024, Arizona pushed that usage even higher, going to “13” personnel at the second-highest rate and for the second-most plays.
The obvious question in Detroit has been whether the Lions have the bodies to match that preference. For a while, the answer looked shaky, especially with Sam LaPorta missing time late last season. But the addition of Tyler Conklin in free agency changed the equation.
With Conklin now healthy and ready, the battle between him and Brock Wright for the TE2 job can finally play out the way it was supposed to. Whoever loses that fight projects as TE3, which would give the Lions three usable tight ends if Petzing wants to stack the field that way.
And Petzing didn’t exactly sound like a coach looking to shy away from that setup. When asked about his offensive identity, he leaned into the same themes that have followed him from stop to stop.
He also got the chance to address the tight end room directly, and Wright drew a notable endorsement. Petzing praised him as "Arguably one of the most reliable pros in this organization just in terms of the role he has for us on offense."
That matters because Wright’s place on the roster is far from settled. Conklin has every chance to jump him, and there’s even been talk that Wright could be a surprise cut. But Petzing’s comments suggested something different: that Wright still has a defined role in this offense.
More than anything, that sounds like a coach already planning to live in 13 personnel. And if that’s the direction Petzing takes, the Lions appear set up to follow.
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