Jack Campbell’s ascent in Detroit took another step this week, and it came with a clear sign of trust from the Lions.
After a 2025-2026 season that put him firmly among the league’s top linebackers, Campbell has been named a captain for the 2026-2027 season. It’s the latest reward for a player who turned a bigger defensive role into a career year under head coach Dan Campbell.
The production backed up the recognition. Campbell posted a career-high 176 total tackles, including 89 solo stops, along with five sacks, three forced fumbles, two recoveries and four passes defended. That season also earned him the Dick Butkus Award and an NFL All-Pro selection.
Detroit’s faith in him goes beyond the stat sheet. The Lions signed Campbell to a four-year, $81 million extension this offseason after initially turning down his fifth-year option. That option would have cost the team $21.925 million next season, a number that would have topped Fred Warner’s $21 million per year and made Campbell the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL.
The captaincy fits the profile Campbell has built since arriving in Detroit as the 18th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was a two-year captain on Iowa’s defense before reaching the NFL, and he already works as the Lions’ MIKE linebacker, wearing the green dot and relaying calls from the coaches to the rest of the defense.
His leadership has shown up away from the field too. Campbell remains heavily involved with multiple charities in the Detroit community, another reason the move makes sense for a team leaning on him as a central figure.
Detroit’s leadership group for the season also includes Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill, as the Lions try to rebound from a down 2025-2026 campaign. The offense has some uncertainty after letting star RB David Montgomery walk, though Jahmyr Gibbs now steps in as the unquestioned lead back.
Even with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers projected to sit near the top of the division, the Lions have reason to believe they can stay in the mix in the NFC North and the playoff race. With Campbell locked up long term and now wearing a captain’s label, Detroit is putting a lot on its defense - and on a player who has already shown he can handle it.
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Iowa State Still Carries Mari-Rae Soppers Powerful Legacy 25 Years Later
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Sopper boarded American Airlines Flight 77 on Sept. 11, 2001, and was among those killed when it was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon. Her name lives on at Arlington National Cemetery, the Pentagon Memorial and the National September 11 Memorial, reminders of a life remembered in more than one place. For the Cyclones, the resonance is especially powerful because her story still represents a blend of sacrifice, service and the pursuit of coaching that continues to matter long after the calendar turned on that day. [Read more 🡒]