Less than 48 hours after the rumor that the Detroit Lions offered Iowa State coach Matt Campbell an eight-year, $68.5 million contract, Dave Birkett of the Free Press is now reporting that no formal offer was actually ever made.
“A Lions source with knowledge of the team’s search process said Friday no formal offer was made to Campbell, and that the Lions got the No. 1 candidate on their list: Former New Orleans Saints assistant head coach Dan Campbell,” Birkett said.
The Lions did have a legitimate interest in Matt Campbell, and as Birkett points out, they were one of two teams to reportedly hold interviews with Campbell during the 2021 hiring process—the New York Jets were also rumored to have brought him in.