Since taking over as head coach of the Detroit Lions prior to the start of the 2014 campaign, Jim Caldwell has compiled a record of 29-21 in the regular season and has led the team to a playoff berth in two of three seasons.
As we know, the Lions have not exactly had very much success over the years, winning just one playoff game since winning the NFL Championship in 1957. Because of that, some believe what Caldwell has done in Detroit is enough to get him a contract extension, while others are calling for his head on a weekly basis, sometimes even after a win. Yet instead, Caldwell entered the 2017 season in the final year of his current contract.
Or, at least that we know of.
On Tuesday, following the Lions big win on Monday Night Football over the New York Giants, Caldwell was asked about signing an extension with the Lions but he said he will not tell the media when that happens.
As you can see below, Kyle Meinke of MLive has an interesting theory that Caldwell may have already signed a contract extension with the Lions.
Jim Caldwell says he won't tell us when he signs an extension, which feeds into my theory that he might have already signed an extension.
— kyle meinke (@kmeinke) September 19, 2017
Despite being in the final year of his contract, at least that we are aware of, Caldwell has been 100% consistent in saying he is not worried about how things play out.
“I heard a little buzz about it, but it’s not important,” Caldwell said. “Just like I’ve said before, I’ll say it a thousand times, I’ve told you guys I’ll answer it the same way now and you ask me eight weeks down the road, I’m only concerned about a couple things — It’s my men and my mission. And our mission is to win. Everything else will take care of itself. And they aren’t worried about anything else other than that. So, that’s our focus.”
Here are his comments from July.
“I don’t even worry about it,” Caldwell said to ESPN in late July. “I think I’ve explained pretty well to you guys that there hasn’t been a time in my life, you operate under certain things. You never know. You can have a 15-year contract; it doesn’t mean you’re not going to be fired tomorrow. So you’ve always got to perform. So I never worried about those things. I could care less, to be honest with you. That’s my job. That’s my charge.”
Well, it sounds like Caldwell’s contract situation will continue to be a mystery until he or the Lions want us to know about it.
