The Detroit Lions are kicking off Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints with a coaching staff shake-up that’s got everyone talking, and if what their coaches are saying is true, they’ve been putting in some serious work this offseason. There’s a pretty unique power structure brewing in Detroit, and it sounds like it’s fueling some intense preparation for the season opener.
Coaching Carousel Fuels the Fire
This year, the Lions have a different look in their coaching ranks, and it’s not just window dressing. Scottie Montgomery, who was the assistant head coach and running backs coach, has moved into the associate head coach role and now works with the wide receivers. That left a big gap, and safeties coach Jim O’Neil stepped right up, adding assistant head coach to his official title. Both Montgomery and O’Neil spoke to the media, offering up some serious insights into what’s been happening behind the scenes for the Lions’ 2026 season and their Week 1 clash. It feels like this shift isn’t just about titles, it’s about getting the right guys in the right spots to really push this team.
The Hardest Training Camp Ever?
If you want to know how serious Detroit is about this year, look no further than their training camp. Both Montgomery and O’Neil were upfront about it being one of their toughest, with a huge emphasis on getting back to basics and cranking up the competition within the team itself. They skipped joint practices, but they had a grueling 19 training camp sessions, including three full-on scrimmage-style practices. Montgomery even said, “This was a tough training camp,” giving massive props to Coach Campbell. He noted that Campbell challenged everyone, players and coaches alike, making camp even more competitive by not bringing in outside teams to practice against. “We’re right where we need to be, in my opinion, at this point in time with physicality, with our scheme, our quarterback, our defensive quarterback Jack Campbell,” Montgomery added. O’Neil echoed that sentiment, saying, “This was as hard of a camp as I’ve been around.” He was convinced everyone got better, offensively and defensively, especially after going “against Jamo, and Jah, and Saint, LaPorta, Jared, and Penei” for four weeks. That kind of grind? You gotta get better.
Safety Net Stepping Up
Health is always a factor, and the Lions have had to prepare for their starting safeties, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, to potentially miss time. But fear not, Detroit fans, because veterans Chuck Clark and Avonte Maddox have been holding down those starting spots since the jump of training camp. O’Neil has a ton of faith in both, especially Maddox. He’s been super impressed with how Maddox has grown into the safety role after starting last season as a nickel option. Maddox spent most of the 2025 regular season learning the position, and now Detroit believes he’s a “pretty damn good safety.” O’Neil loves what he sees from both Clark and Maddox, particularly their ability to process information pre-snap. That kind of defensive IQ is going to be crucial.
So, what’s next? The Lions get to put all that “hardest camp ever” talk to the test in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints. They’ve been going at each other for weeks, and now it’s time to see if they truly are, as O’Neil put it, “ready to hit somebody else.” You know they’re pumped to show what that brutal camp really built.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pride of Detroit.
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