Dan Campbell Makes Feelings About Goff, Sheppard Crystal Clear

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell emphatic in his praise for veteran quarterback.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) talks to head coach Dan Campbell before a play against Packers | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has not started to fully evaluate the job status of the coaching staff or consider how changes to the roster would improve the team.

Even though supporters and pundits have already flipped the script to look at the offseason, Detroit's fifth-year head coach still has one last game this season to prepare for.

Appearing on 97.1 The Ticket for his weekly radio interview, Campbell was asked about quarterback Jared Goff and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.

Even though their has been growing criticism about the play of the veteran signal-caller, the former NFL tight end was efusive in his praise of the 31-year-old.

"Jared Goff is a stud," Campbell said emphatically. "He's an absolute stud. We're fortunate to have him as a quarterback. He's a winning quarterback in this league. He played at a very high level all season long. He played even better than he played the year before, and he's continued to play better. We're thankful to have him. I'm thankful to have him. He's an absolute stud. He's a pro. He's going nowhere."

Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has also been the subject of criticism, given his inexperience and the defense not living up to standards, compared to their performance last season.

“I like Shep. Shep has really grown this year,” Campbell said. “I think with any first-time coordinator, first-time coach, you go through a lot. You learn along the way. You make adjustments. You find things that you believe in, you throw other things to the side that don’t fit you. You find ways to adjust, and it’s just part of the process. I think Shep’s done a damn good job. There’s always going to be things that you learn from this job, but I like Shep."

After the Bears game, Campbell is facing significant decisions, which will determine how the team rebounds next season, after a disappointing 2025 season that saw the team miss the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

Campbell explained, “How much of that is because there’s a ton of new? I mean, I’ve got eight new coaches here and two new coordinators. Does that mean we just need to get some things in sync and we buy a little more time? Or is it not salvageable? These are all the little things that you think about when the time is right, and I’m not there. I’ve still got another week.”