The Detroit Lions are coming off an incredibly promising season, finishing with a 9-8 record and just barely missing the playoffs. Everything seemed to go right for the team's offense, and under Dan Campbell's leadership, they came out prepared and ready to power through opposing teams.
The team has witnessed an incredible turnaround over the past couple of years from when Dan Campbell took over after former head coach Matt Patricia was fired from the team.
One of the most dominating aspects of the Detroit Lions' offense has been their power running game, with Jamaal Williams, DeAndre Swift, and Justin Jackson rotating in and combining for 23 rushing touchdowns in 2022, which was the third most in all of the NFL.
Now, a major part of the Detroit Lions running game is leaving the team.
According to NFL insider for ESPN, Dan Graziano, the Detroit Lions assistant head coach and running backs coach Duce Staley is leaving the team to join Frank Reich's new staff in Carolina with the Panthers.
Duce Staley, 47 years old, started his career in the NFL as a 3rd round draft pick in the 1997 draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Playing running back for the Eagles, he rushed for 4,807 yards and 22 touchdowns, as well as having 275 receptions for 2,498 yards and 10 touchdowns. He proceeded to join the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2004, where he remained for the last 3 seasons of his playing career.
In 2011, Staley began his coaching career with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was promoted to the team running backs coach in 2013, where he remained until 2020.
In 2021, Bruce Staley joined Dan Campbell in Detroit as assistant head coach and running backs coach.
Now, he will have a new home on Frank Reich's staff in Carolina come 2023. Given how good the Detroit running back room was this past season, this could be a substantial loss for the team.
OnlyHomers Sports News provides Breaking News from across sports leagues, including MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and the NHL. Follow us for the latest breaking sports alerts on NewsBreak.
Comments / 12