Lions Hire Former Ohio State Buckeyes Quarterback J.T. Barrett
In this story:
Former Ohio State and New Orleans Saints quarterback J.T. Barrett is joining the Detroit Lions’ coaching staff.
The 27-year-old will serve as an offensive assistant under head coach Dan Campbell. Most recently, the former Buckeye signed with the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League in January.
Fans in Michigan circles are more than familiar with Barrett, who is the only starting quarterback on either side of the Michigan-OSU rivalry to go 4-0 in his career. Among the moments produced was the infamous ‘J.T. was short,” 2016 showdown in which he appeared to be short of the first-down marker in overtime.
He was a part of OSU’s 2014 national championship team, though he missed both College Football playoff games after suffering an injury against Michigan in the regular season finale.
Barrett began 2014 as the backup to incumbent starter Braxton Miller, who would miss the season after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. All his backup did was lead the team to an 11-1 regular season record, while throwing 34 touchdowns and finishing fifth in the Heisman vote.
Barrett enjoyed two more solid seasons before he put together his best as a senior in 2017. He threw for a career-high 3,053 yards, 35 touchdowns and nine interceptions while leading the Buckeyes to a 12-2 finish and an appearance in the Rose Bowl.
Among his records, Barrett is the career-leader in touchdown passes in the Big 10 conference with 103.
Upon graduating from Ohio State with a record of 38-6 as a starter, Barrett went undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft and signed with the New Orleans Saints. This coincides with Campbell’s tenure as tight ends coach with the team, so the two have crossed paths in the past.
Since his time with the Saints, the signal-caller spent time with the Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers in addition to another stint in New Orleans. He was waived by the Steelers in August of 2020, which marked the last time he was on an NFL roster.
Barrett signed with the Edmonton Elks in January but suffered an injury that was deemed to be season-ending in March.
Upon learning of the diagnosis, the Elks moved him to the retired list.
His tenure with Detroit will be his first stop in the coaching ranks. Though specifics of his position are not yet known, he will certainly work closely with new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
