It didn’t take long for former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to find a new job. NFL insider Ian Rapoport reports that Petzing will take the same role for the Detroit Lions.
Petzing was the offensive coordinator for all three seasons under head coach Jonathan Gannon. With Gannon fired following a 3-14 season, turnover at the coordinator position was inevitable. Given how poorly the Cardinals played in 2025, his job might not have been safe had they not made a change at head coach.
The Cardinals are still in the midst of searching for their new coach. With questions at the quarterback position, who comes in to replace Petzing could play a hand in what the team does in the offseason. Arizona holds the No. 3 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, but a quarterback isn’t a given with Dante Moore electing to return to Oregon.
Drew Petzing’s Track Record with the Arizona Cardinals
Petzing was the offensive coordinator for all three seasons under head coach Jonathan Gannon. Prior to the role, he worked under Kevin Stefanski as the quarterbacks coach with the Cleveland Browns.
Petzing inherited a rebuilding Cardinals team that had Kyler Murray, James Conner, and Trey McBride. Conner recorded the first 1,000-yard season in 2023 and McBride set the all-time single-season reception mark for a tight end in 2025.
It appeared the offense was trending in the right direction, as the unit averaged 23.5 points per game in 2024. They added Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson to strengthen the receiver room. The Cardinals saw offensive improvement, and Petzing was floated about as a head coach candidate.
However, things hit rock bottom for the franchise in 2025. They lost a key offensive assistant, with Klayton Adams hired as the offensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys. Petzing became the subject of criticism for the offensive playcalling, as the offense backed up in 2025. Arizona scored just 103 points in its five games with Murray under center.
Following an injury to Murray, they relied on backup Jacoby Brissett to finish out the season. The Cardinals went 1-11 in those games, scoring 20 or fewer points in their final six games.
Drew Petzing’s Role with the Detroit Lions
Petzing will have a chance to work with Jared Goff, a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback with plenty of playoff experience. In addition to Goff, they have premium talent at the skill positions between Jahymr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jameson Williams. That type of group should give Petzing plenty of tools to attack defenses.
The Lions lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who became the Chicago Bears‘ head coach. They tabbed former Broncos coordinator John Morton to replace Johnson, but relieved him of his coordinator duties after a brutal 16-9 loss to the Eagles. Head coach Dan Campbell took over playcalling, and Morton was fired after the season ended. The team went 3-4 in their final seven games.
Despite the turnover at the offensive coordinator position, the Lions were fourth in the NFL in points per game (28.3). While they had an elite offense, they finished in last place in the NFC North despite a 9-8 record and missed the playoffs.
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