Jack Campbell’s climb in Detroit just picked up another layer of responsibility.
Fresh off a 2025-2026 season that turned into a career year, the Lions linebacker has been named a captain for the 2026-2027 season. It’s a fitting nod for a player who already spent the year putting his fingerprints all over the defense.
After Dan Campbell handed him the keys on that side of the ball, Jack Campbell answered with 176 total tackles, including 89 solo stops, plus five sacks, three forced fumbles, two recoveries and four passes defended. That production helped him win the Dick Butkus Award and land an NFL All-Pro selection.
The Lions’ decision comes after a busy offseason for Campbell, too. Detroit locked him in on a four-year, $81 million extension after initially passing on his fifth-year option.
That option would have carried a $21.925 million price tag next season, a number higher than Fred Warner’s $21 million per year, which is currently the top salary for an NFL linebacker. With the long-term deal done, the team has now doubled down by putting him in a leadership spot as well.
Campbell’s résumé makes the move easy to understand. Before Detroit took him with the 18th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, he was a two-year captain on Iowa’s defense.
He’s also the kind of MIKE linebacker who wears the green dot, getting the calls from the coaches and passing them along to his teammates. In other words, leadership has been part of his game for a while.
The Lions also value what he brings away from the field. Campbell remains involved with multiple charities in the Detroit community, adding to the case for why he fits so naturally into a captain’s role.
Detroit’s captain group also includes Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill as the Lions try to bounce back from a down 2025-2026 season. If they can stay healthy, they should be right in the mix in the NFC North and the playoff picture next season, with Campbell and the defense leading the charge.
There are still some offensive questions after David Montgomery walked, but Jahmyr Gibbs is now set to be the unquestioned lead back. Even with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers projected to sit near the top of the division, Detroit has plenty going for it. With Campbell signed long-term and now wearing a captain’s title, the Lions’ defense has a chance to be one of the more imposing groups in the league next season.
In Other News...
Iowas Backfield Depth Is About To Face Its First Real Test
Iowas backfield is getting an early stress test, and it comes just one week into the season. Kirk Ferentz confirmed that running back L.J. Phillips will miss the Week 2 matchup against Iowa State because of a high ankle sprain, leaving the Hawkeyes to adjust after already opening the year without Tyler Brown.
The good news for Iowa is that the staff does not sound alarmed about the position groups overall outlook. Ferentz said the Hawkeyes have enough depth at running back and defensive back to handle the short-term absences, but the timing is still notable with a rivalry game next on the schedule. The bigger question now is how Iowa distributes the workload and whether the next man up can keep the offense on track until the injured players return. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Community Is Rallying Around A Hawkeye Band Members Family
The Iowa football season has already been shadowed by a painful moment that reached far beyond the field, as the Hawkeye community rallied around Derek Phillips, a three-year member of the Hawkeye Marching Band who collapsed during the Week 1 game and later was taken off life support. Phillips was remembered by those close to him as a phenomenal musician, and the response from the program has reflected just how deeply he was woven into the game-day experience in Iowa City.
Tributes have come from the Hawkeye Marching Band and from marching programs around the country, with performances dedicated to Phillips and messages of support pouring in for his family. A GoFundMe has been established to help them, underscoring how quickly a university band members loss can become a broader community story, one that has left teammates, peers and strangers searching for ways to show up in the aftermath. [Read more 🡒]
Hank Browns First Start Put Iowas Biggest Offensive Question Front And Center
Hank Browns first start against Northern Illinois gave Iowa a clearer look at where the offense stands, and it also underscored how much is still unsettled. Brown came away seeing both encouraging moments and obvious room to clean things up, with the quarterback noting the scripted feel of parts of the game and the need to keep the run and pass game working together if the Hawkeyes want more consistent production.
Brown also pointed to a few snaps that shaped the afternoon, including a pass broken up by Tony Diaz, as examples of the fine line Iowa is trying to walk. With Iowa State next on the schedule, the focus now turns to preparation and to one of the programs most familiar pressure points, finding more efficiency when the offense gets close to the goal line. [Read more 🡒]