LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
September 1, 2025
Opening Statement: “Really not much to speak of. I mean, this is – these guys, gave them a few days off, let them just kind of clear their head. It was a good training camp and then today is really more about just kind of intro to Green Bay, but more than anything is getting them moving again. Get them lifting, running, we’ll move them a little bit outside, do just a short practice so that we’re ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow will be our big day. So, it’s good to have them back and here we go, man, 2025.”
On how the addition of Packers DL Micah Parsons changes how he looks at what their team brings defensively: “I mean, I don’t know how much it’ll change necessarily yet. We’re not even into third down, so we’ll get more into that in the next couple of days but certainly we’ll have our eyes on that. We know what kind of player he is, he’s a really good player. But, we’ll have a plan.”
On whether or not he talks about or pays attention to Vegas favoring Green Bay to win the division now: “No, we didn’t, we haven’t talked about any of that. I don’t – Vegas has done what, again? Oh, OK. Yeah, no, we – listen, that’s all good. To each their own. We haven’t talked about any of that. Like I said, we’ll just hit a little intro to their personnel, some of the things we know we’re going to like, there will be a lot more of it tomorrow so today is just kind of step one. Look, they’ve got a good roster, they’ve got good coaches over there, competitive every year. This division is tough, as we’ve said, but we wouldn’t want it any other way. This is why you do it, you love this stuff, the competition that’s involved in it. Game one out at Lambeau – love Lambeau – division game, the whole deal. So, we’re going to be looking forward to it.”
On his confidence level that Lions Defensive Coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and Lions Offensive Coordinator John Morton are ready for this moment: “Yeah, it’s high. It’s high. I have a lot of confidence in both of those guys. I think they’re going to do a good job. I think our players are going to pick up the slack and make us right when we’re not, that’s the beauty of our roster. We’ve got guys that – the good players but man they put in the work, pretty detailed, they’re smart, they work at it and they’ll find a way to make it right and that’s always going to give you a chance.”
On what he has to do to mentally prepare himself for the ups and downs of the season: “Nothing. I mean just the same thing you do every year for as long as I can remember. You don’t worry about what’s there, you worry about what’s right in front of you right now. You know there’ll be things that happen, I did tell the team that, there is every year. You don’t know if it’s going to be early, middle of the season, it’s going to be late, but we’ll hit a rough spot. That’s the nature of this game and that’s life, so. We’ll adapt when it comes, you overcome, but you stay the course. You just stay the course, you put the work in and you tweak what needs to be tweaked and you find the substance and why things aren’t a certain way and you fix it. It really is that simple. It’s don’t get caught up in all the other stuff, just worry about the controllables. Control what you can control.”
On if he is looking for a third quarterback and if he would be looking for a veteran or someone to develop: “I would say that we’re looking for somebody that if we need them, we know they can run the show, that they can run the offense, they can process the information. I think more than can we find a guy to develop that’s unknown, all of those. I’d rather have somebody that certainly if we’re familiar with or somebody you just know (if) they get in the game, they’re going to get you in the right play, be smart with the football and all those things.”
On if starting the season with two divisional opponents changes the team’s mindset and preparation: “No, it doesn’t. It’s the same as it’s been since I’ve been here. We – step one was training camp, it was getting them physically ready, their bodies ready for that first week to endure 70 plays, plus, whatever that is to be able to handle it. And then certainly the scheme that goes with it versus the opponent. Like I said, they’ve got good football players over there. They do a good job, no different than we do. They’re trying to find ways to exploit you in all three phases and so really, it’s no different. It’s we know what this is, but this is game one and you’ve got to attack it the same way.”
On the growth he has seen in the chemistry of the offensive line: “Well, I think they’ve come a long way, that’s for sure. You see a ton of growth with those five, and really we’ve had them together now since – call it a week into training camp we went and then we made the move with (Lions OL) Graham (Glasgow) back to center and then pushed him (Lions OL Tate Ratledge) out. So they’ve been working together now for over a month. So you do see the growth, there’s that communication that takes place that is big with those guys. So it’s good, I feel really good about it. I also know we’re not done, they’re not done, and that’s encouraging. I say that in a good way, like, there’s so much growth left to take place with not only those two but them collectively as a unit. So that’s pretty exciting.”
On how much of a better sense they have of Green Bay’s defensive scheme after seeing Packers Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley’s scheme twice last year: “Well you’ve got a pretty good feel. You get certainly a full season of what they do and what Coach Hafley believes in and the style of play, but there’ll be wrinkles too. They’re going to want to probably bring some things in that are a little bit fresh and new on top of what they do, so those are – you’ve always got to be prepared for those. But we’ve got a pretty good feel of them and they’ve got a pretty good feeling of us. We have a new coordinator but there’s things that we’re going to do that we believe in and aren’t going to change that much. And certainly, we’re familiar with each other’s personnel, that’s really where it always will begin.”
On how challenging it is to game plan knowing the versatility of Packers DL Micah Parsons: “Well, I mean, we’ll – whatever we had planned for (Cowboys DT) Kenny Clark, we’ll just have planned for Micah, so. We’ll do that whether it’s outside or inside. Look, you’ve got to be prepared and they’re going to find plays that they can use him where he can excel and like I said, we’ll have a plan.”
On if Lions DL Tyleik Williams, Lions OL Tate Ratledge and Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa are ready to contribute in a role for the team: “Well, they better be ready because it’s coming, so. I feel good about it, but you’re worrying me. Is there – no. They’re good. There’s a place for them and yeah, there’s a role, certainly. Tate, he’s not coming off the field, so he knows where he’s at. And then TeSlaa, we’ll find a place for him to where we feel like we can use him, certainly special teams we see him playing too. And then (Lions WR Dominic) Lovett, I mean Lovett’s got no different than all those guys. He’s a rookie, he’s got a lot of growth left but we like the upside and we’ll see what we can do with him. Is there a place for him in this game? Don’t know quite yet. Whoever we take to the game, we want to use, that’s kind of what I believe in. You don’t want to waste reps if you can keep from it.”
On the input he had in Lions Offensive Coordinator John Morton choosing to call plays from the booth and if he trusts his coaches to put themselves in the position where they feel the most comfortable: “Yeah, I’m good with that. I mean between myself and (Lions Quarterbacks Coach Mark Brunell) Bru and (Lions Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers Coach) Scottie (Montgomery) will be down there and (Lions Passing Game Coordinator) David Shaw. We’ll be good down there and so I had no problem with that. He likes it up there, he feels like he can see everything, and that’s the environment that I know he’s liked, he’s always liked and so that won’t be a problem. Like I said, we’re on the headsets, I can still communicate up there, I can get to (Lions QB Jared) Goff whenever I need to. Not through the headset, but at least we’ll be down there so we should be good.”
On how this first game against a big opponent can set the tone for what the team wants to do this season: “I mean everybody wants – man, you want to win the first one, right. It just – you feel like you get off on the right foot and you get that first win under your belt. I just think that’s big for anybody. For us – you love it. I mean this is, I bring it up, the problem is not getting too excited too early right now. Division opponent at Lambeau, nationally televised game. I mean this is – we love this stuff, we live for this, so this is good, this is exciting. Listen, any win sets you up for the season, helps you. And that’s really what it’s about.”
