‘He’s a close friend, a fantastic coach’
Payton on exassistant Campbell
As the lone remaining NFC team on Denver’s schedule, the Detroit Lions are a bit of an outlier.
These teams don’t play all that frequently.
The Broncos most recently hosted Detroit in 2021 and 2019 and haven’t visited the Motor City since early in a 7-0 start to the 2015 season.
But it would be difficult to find an opponent — and, more particularly, an opposing coach — more familiar to Sean Payton.
Payton’s known Lions coach Dan Campbell for the better part of 25 years and has watched and aided as Campbell went from thirdround draft pick to longtime player to young assistant coach to trusted top lieutenant to now one of the most respected head men in the league.
Payton was on the New York Giants staff when Campbell was drafted, first as the quarterbacks coach and then as the offensive coordinator. When Payton moved to Dallas, the Cowboys signed Campbell.
“I was part of the reason we were able to sign Dan as a free agent to the Cowboys,” Payton said Monday while explaining the depth and length of their relationship. “Eventually, I signed
Dan to the Saints. He got injured and that’s where his career ended.”
Campbell’s coaching career began with six years in Miami, but then Payton brought him to New Orleans, where he served as tight ends coach and assistant head coach to Payton for six more years before he got the Lions head coaching job in early 2021.
“He’s a close friend, a fantastic coach and someone I’ve always enjoyed working with,” Payton said.
Campbell’s Lions went 3-13-1 in his first season, then 9-8 last year and have a vice grip on the NFC North this year at 9-4, despite losing to Green Bay and Chicago two of the past three weeks.
Saturday night will mark the first time Payton and Campbell have squared off as opposing head coaches.
Interestingly enough, it will be Payton trying to emulate something Campbell’s done as a coach rather than the mentee chasing the mentor.
Detroit, as it happens, started last year 1-6 before getting hot and making a run toward the postseason. It ultimately came up short. The Lions beat Green Bay in Week 18 despite having been eliminated by the time kickoff arrived. Even still, the Lions won eight of their final 10 games and set the groundwork for what’s turned into a surefire playoff team this fall.