It sounds like the Detroit Lions will officially hire Dan Campbell to be their next head coach as soon as the New Orleans Saints are eliminated from the playoffs (or at least that’s what the NFL insiders think).
But was he their first choice?
According to a report from ESPN, the “uncertainty” of the Matthew Stafford situation caused at least one candidate (Matt Campbell of Iowa State) to shy away from the Lions head coach vacancy.
From ESPN:
And interestingly, if you go back a week, this wasn’t the Campbell most people would have pegged for the Detroit job. The Lions were in conversations with Iowa State coach Matt Campbell before he decided to stay where he is. I don’t know if this was specifically an issue for Matt Campbell, but I have been told that the uncertainty of the Matthew Stafford situation has had an effect on the way prospective candidates view the Detroit job. It’s possible the team will look to trade Stafford this offseason and move on to an uncertain future at the QB position.
Splendid….
