Report: Lions to Hire New DL Coach Kacy Rodgers

The Detroit Lions have their sights on their first new hire of the 2025 offseason.

According to reports, the Lions are expected to hire Kacy Rodgers as their new defensive line coach. Rodgers was formerly the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive line coach and run game coordinator.

He would be the replacement for Terrell Williams, who left Detroit after holding the same role for one season to become the New England Patriots' new defensive coordinator under Mike Vrabel.

Rodgers has been with the Buccaneers' organization for six seasons, beginning in 2019. He was strictly the defensive line coach through 2021, and added run game coordinator duties to his job title beginning in 2022.

The defensive line coach has worked with current Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles since 2015, as Bowles made Rodgers his defensive coordinator upon being named head coach of the New York Jets.

There is familiarity between Rodgers and Lions' head coach Dan Campbell, as the two worked together with the Miami Dolphins. Campbell was the Dolphins' tight ends coach from 2011-15, while Rodgers was the defensive line coach from 2008-14.

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#Bucs run game coordinator/defensive line Kacy Rodgers is expected to join the #Lions as defensive line coach, per sources.

Detroit is replacing Terrell Williams, who became Patriots DC. Rodgers has been with Todd Bowles since 2015. pic.twitter.com/QgYcDVSD45
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 23, 2025

Rodgers broke into the NFL in the 2003 season as the Dallas Cowboys' defensive tackles coach. He would be promoted to the defensive line coach in 2005 and would hold that role until going to Miami ahead of the 2008 season.

The 55-year-old played collegiately at Tennessee and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 1992. His coaching career began as the defensive line coach at the University of Tennessee-Martin in 1994.

Rodgers also did coaching stints at Northeast Louisiana, Middle Tennessee State and Arkansas before joining the Cowboys' coaching staff.