LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
November 14, 2025
On an injury update for Lions CB Amik Robertson and whether he would consider activating Lions CB D.J. Reed this weekend to help with the secondary depth issues: “I don’t see D.J. yet. I love where he’s at, he’s getting better. He and (Lions EDGE Marcus) Davenport both, they look good. They’ve just gotten back out there, working them back in. And Amik, we’ll know a lot more today with Amik. And same thing with (Lions CB Terrion Arnold) TA. That answer’s probably going to come through after practice here with both of them, have a pretty good idea.”
On if Lions CB Terrion Arnold will practice today: “I don’t see him practicing today. I don’t. (Lions CB) Amik (Robertson) may be able to go a little bit here. We’ll see – get him moving around.”
On what he has come to understand about facing Eagles Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio in the flow of a game with the adjustments he can make: “Well, he knows himself very well. He knows the opponent, but he knows himself very well and he’s always been great about that. He checks himself, he makes sure that you can’t get a beat on him. Now, there’s nothing super complex but yet the fact that he asks them to do things they do well and he just kind of keeps moving around, that makes it difficult. And that’s obviously the sign of a damn good coordinator/coach and he does that really well. And those guys, what you ask them to do, they’re very good at. And it’s the front that really creates a lot of disruption and it allows those guys to play top-down in coverage. And then they do match-up, they play some match coverage. So, they get in your face and they challenge you and then you’ve got to be pinpoint accurate, you’ve got to create separation at the receiver position, you’ve got to play fast. So, it’s – I mean he’s just always done a great job – it’s a very disciplined unit. Those guys communicate really well. I mean you see a lot of these turbo motions, the shifts, the motions, it’s fast. It’s going – receivers going between one and two with speed. You see (Eagles DB Cooper DeJean) 33, boy he passes it off, he sees it, he bumps, he goes, he catches, he moves. They adjust, it’s impressive. And those are signs of a well-coached defense and that’s what he’s always been. His defenses are very disciplined, they play together, they play hard and there’s no secret why teams struggle against them.”
On an injury update for Lions TE Sam LaPorta and if he will play this weekend: “I’ll know a lot more today, that’s another one. I don’t see him practicing either. So, I’ll just – that’s the best way to say it.”
On his confidence level in Lions TE Brock Wright to play if Lions TE Sam LaPorta cannot go this weekend: “High. Sky high. Brock’s a guy we don’t talk a lot about but he’s the jack of all trades. He does everything for us – pass protect, run block, he can run some routes, he plays special teams. He’s one of the most dependable players we have on this team. And at the end of the day, what you really need in the tight end position is versatility and smarts and he’s got both of those – and he’s tough. So, he checks a lot of boxes of a well-rounded tight end and so that is always going to make me feel a lot better, offensively feel a lot better.”
On Lions WR Jackson Meeks working in reps with the tight end group and if there is a future he sees there or if it is to solve a short-staffed position this week: “No, not necessarily. I mean there were some things he did on scout team that really caught our eye really leading up to – I mean this has been three or four weeks ago. We had to use him – it was by necessity. We had to use him on some scout team tight end and one day I watched him, he’s mixing it up with (Lions EDGE Al-Quadin) Muhammad. And you guys know what we think about Muhammad, the type of player he is – especially in the run, setting edges and stuff – and he kind of held his own. Didn’t look – I’m not saying he won the rep, but he didn’t look like a fish out of water. It looked like, ‘Woah, this is kind of natural for him.’ He’s got some strength, he’s got some size and we know the athlete. He’s big skill, he’s a big athlete, he’s got length, can play strong. So, then we just kind of moved him over there a little bit and he’s been working with (Tight Ends Coach) Tyler Roehl). Now he still does scout team receiver and he’s still working with (Lions Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers) Scottie (Montgomery) too here and there. So yeah, we’re just kind of tinkering with him. Maybe there’s an H-back in there. There’s an athlete, so we’ll see. We’re just going to keep working with him. He works hard. Man, he works hard and he’s smart too.”
On what it is like to have Lions EDGE Ahmed Hassanein back in the building: “Oh yeah, well he’s – well you know how – I mean you can only imagine. He’s fired up to be back, he loves ball. We haven’t gotten him on the grass. We’re just trying to work him back, make sure he’s good. We’re trying to be smart and then we’ll get him practicing next week with the team. But he’s here, he’s around the guys. So, listen, he’s fired up. It’s good to have him back.”
On how much he sees similarities between the roster construction in Detroit and Philadelphia: “Yeah, well they’ve drafted well. They’ve acquired their players a number of different ways, but they certainly have drafted well. And a lot of the players they have are a lot of the same players we really were high on too. So, that says a lot just on the respect level of those players they have over there and what they do and their process. Certainly we don’t have the same process as them and we’re good with that. We do ours a little bit different – (Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager) Brad (Holmes) and I. Go about our business a tick different, but there’s a lot of different ways to skin a cat, I guess. I don’t know how many of you guys have skinned a cat but.”
On how much the Eagles have been on the team’s mind as a potential playoff opponent: “Yeah, I mean really the last two years we thought we were going to face them at some point. We really believed that. And so, I would just say that’s always kind of been there like, ‘Hey, we’re going to face the Eagles.’ And those were one of those teams that as you go throughout a season – I’m talking about over the last two years, some of these teams you face and you play, you’re like you’re not playing this team per se. Was it good enough to beat Philly when we face them? Was it good enough to beat San Francisco when we face them like ’23? That’s some of it is how you’ve got to look, which means it’s about you. It’s about you and you’re holding up your standards on what you believe winning football is, championship football. And you’ve got to be on point in all three phases. And so yeah, we thought this would be – we would’ve seen them before now. But get to see them this year, go out to their place which is great. It’ll be electric like we talked about and we’re looking forward to it.”
On if he likes that the players like Lions EDGE Aidan Hutchinson view this game against the Eagles as a must-win: “Yeah, I do. I do like that. I think we need to apply some pressure on ourselves, in a good way, because I know we’ve got the right guys too. That’s what helps. We’re not – the reality is we’ve still got a lot of games left. How much is a must-win a must-win? But yet, I think when you view it that way, we’ve got to find a way to come away with this one. It’s important. They’re all important but this is the one in front of us right now. And I just think it applies the right kind of friction, the right kind of pressure on you. So, I am good because I know our guys and I know that they’re gearing up, they’re going to be ready to respond. They know it’s not going to be easy. We’re going to have to scratch and claw for everything that happens. And really that play that happens with 11 minutes in the second quarter could be the difference in this game.”
On if Eagles CB Quinyon Mitchell was on the short list of options for the 2024 NFL Draft: “Yeah, we liked him. We had him in here, had a visit with him. I’ll tell you, he’s really grown. I mean he’s – even this year just watching him from the first game to the Packers the other night, he’s growing. I mean he’s getting better and better and better. Just his coverage ability, he doesn’t get fazed, nothing really stresses him, can play the ball in the air. But we did, we liked him. He was just a little raw coming out of where he came out of, but he’s really taken off. They’ve done a good job with him.”
