Lions News and Nuggets - 02/09/26

This weekly segment will be an aggregator of much of the Lions News, nuggets and rumors that have occurred within the last time frame that this was posted. The expectation is that we will publish it weekly and will continue to ramp up the content and evolve it over the coming months. It will focus on Lions Coaches

Lions newly promoted TE Coach Steve Oliver

Lions Players, Coaches and Team

• Lions Assistant TE Coach Seth Ryan was hired by Aaron Glenn and the NY Jets to become their new Passing Game Coordinator.

• Steve Oliver, Lions current Assistant OL Coach was promoted to the TE Coach Role.

• Lions still have two coaching roles to fill, Assistant TE and Assistant OL, although one may be filled based on the rumor below

• Penei Sewell lost out on the inaugural NFL Protector of the Year Award which went to Bears Joe Thuney. Not sure of the selection criteria, but Sewell's 2025 PFF grade was 95.2 and Thuney's was 79.4.

• Mike Kafka was hired as a Senior Offensive Assistant a few weeks ago, but with Seattle losing Klint Kubiak to the Las Vegas Raiders, they may have an interest in bringing in Kafka as OC with the other to promote from within.

Rumors, Nuggets and Speculation

• The Grey Manes has been hearing and seeing speculation that retired Lions OL Dan Skipper will be joining the Lions Coaching Staff, potentially as Assistant OL Coach. He recently wrapped a stint assisting coaching the East OL at the East-West Shrine Game.

• Ravens C Tyler Linderbaum, the top IOL Free Agent as of now and a massive Lions Need, has had his Baseline market value set at ~$17-$18M APY, which would make him tied for No. 1 C contract in NFL

• Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press spoke with former Lions Safety Quandre Diggs during Super Bowl week and learned that the Lions had reached out to bring Diggs to Detroit (from Seattle Practice Squad), but he declined the offer for an opportunity to win a Super Bowl.

• The lions will NOT be going to Australia for the 2026 international series, as the 49ers and Rams were announced as the participants. Hosting a game in Germany still seems to be the logical conclusion.

• Former Lion RB Jahvid Best has been an officer with the San Francisco Police Department going on two years.

• Looks like the Super Bowl LXI Logo may have been revealed by ESPN for next year's game in SoFi Stadium in LA.

NFC North News

• Bears Promoted Passing Game Coordinator Press Taylor to Offensive Coordinator

• Packers lose another key Assistant, this time to the Steelers

Things I think are Noteworthy

• Mike Tirico called his first ever Super Bowl Yesterday.

• Early Mock drafts have clearly defined who the 16 consensus Elite Players are in this draft