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This offseason, the Detroit Lions apparently nearly lost one of their most important coaches on the defensive side of the ball.
During his press conference at the NFL Combine, Lions coach Dan Campbell said that safeties coach Jim O’Neil had a job offer with the New York Jets, but they were able to bring him back.
“Fortunate to be able to keep Jim O’Neil, had an opportunity to go with the Jets, so that worked out good for us,” Campbell saisd. “So really, we got the staff still intact, just about cleaning up some of those little things.”
The Jets announced in January that O’Neil was one of eight candidates they interviewed for their defensive coordinator position. Putting two-and-two together, it appears O’Neil was offered that job. However, the Lions gave him a promotion to safeties coach/assistant head coach—likely with a significant pay raise—and were able to keep him.
O’Neil has done a fantastic job with the safety room since taking it over in 2024. He helped Brian Branch develop into a full-time safety after playing a ton of nickel in college. He turned Kerby Joseph into a All-Pro player. And when injuries hit the safety position last year, he got very solid and dependable play from reserves Avonte Maddox and Thomas Harper. There’s a reason O’Neil won Coach of the Year in our Pride of Detroit awards.
Keeping O’Neil meant the Lions were able to bring back their entire defensive coaching staff, and that continuity is something Campbell believes is extremely important for growth on that side of the ball.
“I think those guys, from (DL coach) Kacy Rodgers to (DB coach) Deshea Townsend to get Jim O’Neil back (to) (LB coach)Shaun Dion Hamilton, I just think it’s a really good unit, man,” Campbell said. “It’s an experienced unit. I think we’ve got a lot of flexibility on what we do. Man, we’ve just got to tighten the screws on a few things.”
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard is certainly appreciative of it, too. While Sheppard wasn’t specific with O’Neil, he certainly expressed his thankfulness for a couple of defensive coaches who chose to stay over different opportunities elsewhere.
“To not have to start over again, that’s a thing I’m very fortunate with,” Sheppard siad. “And I had a couple guys on my staff that got opportunities, I’m not sure how much of that information got out. But multiple guys on staff had opportunities, one had a major-jump-in-his-career type opportunity and he called me up, and that’s what I appreciate. That’s why I feel like I owe it to those guys, too, not just those players, because I know what some of those guys are doing, the belief they have in myself, Dan, the organization. So, it means everything.”
With continuity in the coaching staff, and continuity with key players like Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Jack Campbell, Terrion Arnold, and Brian Branch, Sheppard believes the defense can take the next step in 2026.
“Now, time to take it to the next level. It’s now time to add the situational awareness,” Sheppard said. “You should know where to line up by now, you should know what your job is. Now it’s about stealing plays and making plays within your job, and not just being where you’re supposed to be, because that’s what I believe it takes to play at a high level on defense.”