Head coach Dan Campbell has been the backbone of the Detroit Lions‘ resurgence over this decade after joining the franchise from the New Orleans Saints. However, this turnaround of the Motor City may not have come true. A different path was brewing for Campbell in New Orleans that would have dramatically altered the landscape for these two NFC franchises.

As revealed by Saints legend Terron Armstead, Dan Campbell was a contender for the New Orleans head coaching role when the Dallas Cowboys were eyeing Sean Payton as a replacement for Jason Garrett.

“It was at a point we was damn there like petitioning to get Sean Payton out of there, really not like going on strike or nothing,” Armstead said on the St. Brown podcast. “But we kept hearing rumors of Sean entertaining the Cowboys job. And if Sean went to Dallas, Dan Campbell is gonna be the head coach.”

Dan Campbell, after an 11-year NFL playing career, began his coaching career with the Miami Dolphins in 2010, where he spent five years before joining the Saints coaching staff under Sean Payton in 2016. In New Orleans, he grew into a right-hand man for Payton as he took control of the Saints’ tight ends.

With Campbell in charge, the New Orleans tight ends were a vital cog of Payton’s dynamic offense that ranked first in the NFL with 426.0 total net yards per game and second in scoring with 29.3 points per game in his first season on the staff in 2016. He continued this impact throughout his time with the Saints, as tight end Jared Cook got a Pro Bowl nod in 2019 with Campbell as his position coach.

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Hence, New Orleans could have heavily benefited from Dan Campbell as their head coach in 2019. However, Sean Payton stayed with the organization despite the Dallas Cowboys’ offer and led a Drew Brees-less Saints to a 13-3 record. Payton continued in New Orleans until the 2022 season before joining the Denver Broncos.

This allowed the Detroit Lions to hire Dan Campbell in 2021 and end their years of suffering. With Campbell at the helm, the franchise had its first division title since 1993 (clinched on Christmas Eve 2023), its first playoff win since 1991, and its first-ever appearance as the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Campbell also secured his first win in a 29-27 victory against the Vikings in 2021. Furthermore, the Lions had a 52–43–1 (.547) over five seasons (2021–2025) with Campbell, as he has led the team to four consecutive winning seasons, including back-to-back NFC North division titles in 2023 and 2024, with a 2–2 playoff record.

But as the 2025-26 season didn’t go well for the Lions, Dan Campbell gave his performance a harsh grade.

Dan Campbell gives his 2025-26 season an F grade

After starting the 2025 season as Super Bowl contenders, the Detroit Lions had a fall from grace as they missed the playoffs after finishing the regular season with a 9-8 record. Reflecting on this performance, Dan Campbell didn’t hold any punches as he gave himself an F grade for the season.

“Not good enough. We didn’t get in. We underachieved,” Campbell said, via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “So, not good. I’d give myself a freaking F. It’s hard to believe that this is it,” Campbell said. “It’s going to be a hard pill to swallow watching these teams in the playoffs. But I think you’ve got to watch them. You’ve got to force yourself to do it because that’s a drive to want to be there, be a part of it.”

The Saints’ loss was ultimately Detroit’s gain. And if Campbell’s brutal self-assessment is anything to go by, the Lions will be coming back hungrier than ever next season.