Dan Campbell Sets Perfect Tone For Lions Team That Has Underachieved

The Detroit Lions as a team have underachieved the past couple of NFL seasons, and it appears their head coach has turned over a new leaf.

A noticeably more subdued and serious Dan Campbell is now the veteran head coach who is turning down opportunities to hype up his players.

It brings me back to the term "rat poison" that former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban would preach to his young players.

The best coach in college football history wanted his players to avoid the pitfalls of riding too high when praise came in the media or getting too down when criticism came their way.

An eye-opening response came when the former NFL tight end was asked what new faces have stuck out early during organized team activities.

Some would have taken the opportunity to highlight a young player or a veteran in need of a confidence boost.

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Instead, the sixth-year head coach set the tone again for what the messaging will be from the top: Strictly Business.

“I mean, there have been a lot of guys that have done really well, for two days in pajamas," Campbell told local reporters observing his roster for the first time in 2026. "And then there are some that are learning through it, they're working through it, they're learning. But I'm done with the hype of the pajama party in May. So, man, it's about the mental, it's about the movement skills, all that other stuff doesn't matter. And then we'll find out in training camp who's who.

"This will be the most competition we've had, in my opinion, I think top tier competition. I mean, this will be good. This is going to be good across the board. So now it's just, let's get acclimated. We want to hit the ground running when we get to late July, August. That's what we want. So that's really what this time's about.”

Another opportunity to shed some light on a player that has battled his way back to the field was rebuffed.

Campbell was asked about the progress of defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike, but instead kept his reply serious and succinct.

“I like where Levi's at, alright? And I'll leave it at that," said Campbell. "He's working, he feels good. I'm not hyping anybody up. Not in May, it's not worth it.”

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