LIONS HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL QUOTE SHEET
October 3, 2025
Opening Statement: “Friday, red zone, been a good week.”
On Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase and if he is more dangerous when he is not performing up to his expectations: “No, I think it doesn’t matter what the situation is, he’s going to be dangerous. That’s the type of player he is in the pass game. So, he’s somebody that you have to pay attention to. Every opponent has to at any given game. We know they want to give him the ball, he’s a good player.”
On Lions S Kerby Joseph’s injury status: “Kerby’s was from last game, just calming the body down. He’s going to be out there today.”
On if Lions S Kerby Joseph is still dealing with what he was dealing with during camp: “I would say a little bit, but I wouldn’t say it’s something out of the norm, but there have been some things he has been dealing with physically. This one’s a little different from what he got in the game, but I think we’re on the uptick with him.”
On how difficult it is to play through pain like Lions T Taylor Decker has been: “It’s not easy. There are very few players that can get away with that. And normally if you are, you’ve got a lot of ability, you’ve played a lot of snaps, you understand your own body pretty good, and you can find a way. So, what he’s done has been pretty impressive. It really is. Like I say, he’s been pushing through it, and I know it’s not up to his standards. What I’ve told him is that you’re helping us win these games, man. It’s winning football. That’s not always – went through the same thing with (former Lions C) Frank (Ragnow). Frank never – he never thought he was playing up to his standards even though it was winning football, sometimes when you deal with these physical issues that you have. So, it is just about trying to calm it down, this shoulder down and get him to where he feels like man, I’m at least 80 percent, 85 percent of what I am.”
On if Lions DL Alim McNeill’s return can help aid Lions DL Tyleik Williams’ development: “Oh for sure. Look, I’ve said this before, and one of the biggest ways is just seeing the guy and being around him. You can only learn so much from a coach. You work the craft, you teach them, here’s the scheme, here’s the technique. But coaches can’t always go out and physically show you exactly what you’re doing in real time. A guy like Mac or (Lions EDGE Aidan Hutchinson) Hutch or some of these, like this is what it needs to look like. This is what it looks like. I think every player – another good player’s back in the fold and you watch how they work, perform, how they use their body, their mechanics. You start to mimic some of those things into your own game because you can see it. You see it every day on tape, you see it on the field. So, that’s where I think it really can help.”
On how Lions DL Alim McNeill has looked in practice: “Very good.”
On the process of getting Lions DL Alim McNeill game ready: “We’ve got a lot of data on him right now, certainly what he says, how does he feel. What’s his comfort level, confidence. But also, being smart. Being smart with it. We kind of worked him in on Wednesday, he got a lot more reps yesterday, and today he’s going to get more reps, but it won’t be near as many. And that’s really where we’re at with him.”
On if Lions DL Alim McNeill will play this week: “We’ve talked about it. I don’t know. I don’t know, man. I think right now, it’s probably 50-50. I know he wants to play, but we want to be smart, too. So, this will be one of those decisions we’ll probably make after practice.”
On how much he thinks drafting Lions T Penei Sewell put everything in motion for the team: “How much? I think it put the wheels in motion for what we have become and to the point where we are at. That’s how important I think it is. Because really, everything that we’re about starts with the bigs. And then it permeates everywhere else. So, being able to get that player has been huge for us, man. He is a pillar, he is one of our pillars from day one. And he’s a guy that sets the tone, he’s a phenomenal athlete, his work ethic, everything we’ve talked about up to this point, man. And so, we are blessed and fortunate to have him.”
On when he knew Lions T Penei Sewell was going to become the player he is now: “When did we know. Well, I think he grew fast. I think there was a ton of verification when he’s playing right tackle all camp, and then (Lions T Taylor) Decker gets hurt right before we play San Francisco and we have to throw him at left tackle as a rookie against (49ers DE Nick) Bosa. And he played a hell of game, and it’s like, ‘Wow, this is your first game against a hell of a player. And you hadn’t taken any left tackle snaps, you’ve been taking right tackle in the NFL the whole time.’ So, that’s when it was like OK, I think he’s going to be just fine. Now, he had growing pains like every other rookie, but that’s when it was like OK, if there were any questions as to what it is, how long, whatever, I think they’ve for the most part been answered.”
On if teams will elect to receive the ball second in overtime more due to the League’s new overtime rules: “Yeah, I think you want the ball last. You want to know what you have to get. I think that would probably be the norm with the new rules now. I mean, I get that there is, ‘Well, if you are last, then the offense chews up nine minutes on the clock. And they score, do you have enough time to answer back during the regular season.’ But I think that’s not the norm. I mean, most of the time you’re not going to have that type of drive in overtime. So yeah, I think the norm is, ‘Man, I want to see what I’ve got to answer with.’”
On what he liked about Lions LB Ty Summers last year to bring him back this season: “He was a guy that – he was one of them that had to come in like two days before we played a preseason game. Got up on the defense that fast, understood what we were trying to do, and played – man, he played hard. He played relentless in that preseason game against Kansas City, and so he caught our eye there. We just, we think he’s got some versatility. He’s a pretty good athlete, he’s a good teams player. And so, we liked him, we didn’t want to lose him. We really didn’t. So to have the opportunity to bring him back, he knows what we’re about. He was here long enough to know what we’re about. He’s kind of been around the system, and then we can use him on special teams.”
On scoring his first NFL touchdown 25 years ago this week and if he remembers what it was like: “No. No, I hadn’t even thought about that. I don’t even – yeah, I can’t even remember what that was.”
On if he remembers what his first-career touchdown play was: “No, that’s sad that I don’t. Because I only a few, I only have like a handful, that’s what’s sad about it. I know it was from (former NFL QB) Kerry (Collins), but couldn’t remember if it was a flat or in the back of the end zone. Yeah, it was not a go route. No, that’s crazy. That’s a long time ago. I’m fortunate to have the teammates I had around me, I can tell you that. Because if Kerry was throwing it, I had no choice but to catch it, it caught me.”
