I never want to let Dan Campbell down

The Detroit Lions have been one of the best stories in the NFL over the past three seasons.

Under the leadership of Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell, the Lions have gone from one of the worst teams in 2021 to one of the best three years later.

The two have proven to be a top pairing as they have developed a shared vision that has been a driving force in the Lions’ rise to become one of the best teams in football. In conversation with WXYZ-TV Before the team’s Monday Night Football game against Seattle, Holmes explained why he and Campbell were able to work so well together.

“I have always said from day one that I am incredibly blessed and incredibly lucky to be in this position, working with Dan,” Holmes said. “Of course it was a privilege because we saw so much on equal terms straight away, but in every good relationship there is even more trust, even better trust. Now we anticipate each other’s thoughts and even “I overcommunicated and still got it right.”

A large part of the cohesion comes from the shared desire to win at the highest level. Campbell and Holmes have praised each other throughout their time together, praising each other’s willingness to put aside personal merit or gains for the better interests of the team.

This has created a teammate bond between the two and the entire Lions front office. Holmes’ decision-making is driven by a desire not to let the head coach down or avoid leaving him without the resources necessary to succeed.

“On a day-to-day basis, I just want to make sure he has everything he needs to make sure the team runs at a high level,” Holmes explained. “It is a tireless pursuit, a tireless climb. You have wear and tear, injuries and all that stuff. So I just never want to let him down and never put him in a position where he feels shortchanged. And he’s always the other way around. The one we have to play with, he’s always trying to get every single drop of skill out of every single player. It just doesn’t work, we don’t care who we are. We’ve all seen countless times how this stuff can bring things down.

When asked about going all-in, Holmes noted that he is currently not a prisoner. He understands the natural desire to push for talent to be traded and forgo draft picks, but reiterated that he and Campbell must always keep an eye on winning, now and in the future.