Detroit Lions owner gives Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes votes of confidence amid 1-5 start

Detroit Lions principal owner Sheila Ford Hamp went on record about the job status of head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes. 

Ford Hamp urged patience and said she feels confident about the two men in charge of the NFL franchise’s football operations despite the team’s 1-5 record.

“We’ve got 11 more games to go, so I just don’t want to ruin it, push the panic button and give up the ship because I think we’ve got the right people in place to pull this off, and I truly believe that,” she said, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “And I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t believe it.”

She also added that, in her view, Campbell and Holmes’ jobs were challenging. The two men were charged with overseeing a “huge teardown and then turnaround,” Ford Hamp acknowledged.

In Campbell’s first season, the team was not expected to be a serious contender and finished 3-13-1 in 2021. Although the team did not get many wins, the team mostly played hard for Campbell.

“I think we really are making progress. You’ve seen it,” Ford Hamp noted.

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Over the course of the first three games of the 2022 season, the Lions remained competitive. All three of their losses were decided by four points or fewer.

Campbell has not had the benefit of strong quarterback play during his tenure in Detroit. Shortly after Campbell was hired, the front office executed a trade that sent quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams. 

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In return, the Lions received quarterback Jared Goff, a first-round draft pick in 2022 and 2023, and a 2021 third-round pick.

Goff has struggled since arriving in the Motor City. In 20 games, he has thrown for 4,828 yards, 30 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. But the 2016 No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft has not been able to guide his team to many victories.

Holmes and Campbell were both hired by the Lions in January 2021. Prior to joining the Lions, Campbell was a member of the New Orleans Saints coaching staff.

Holmes spent seven years with the Rams in their scouting department. 

Campbell agreed to a six-year contract with the Lions, while Holmes signed a five-year deal.