The Detroit Lions have another important coaching vacancy to fill this offseason, and it’s one that could quietly shape the offense in 2026 and beyond. With Tyler Roehl leaving to take a job at Iowa State, Detroit is now searching for a new tight ends coach at a time when that position has become a central pillar of the scheme.
Sam LaPorta is already one of the NFL’s premier young tight ends, and the Lions ask a lot from the position: route running, blocking, pass protection, coverage recognition, and red-zone execution. This is not a role for a narrow specialist. It requires a coach who understands the full structure of an offense.
One candidate who fits that description perfectly is current New York Giants tight ends coach Tim Kelly.
Why the Tight End Position Matters So Much in Detroit
Detroit’s offense is built on multiplicity. Tight ends are used as receivers, in-line blockers, motion players, and matchup creators. They have to read defenses the same way the quarterback does and understand how route concepts marry with protections and run fits.
LaPorta isn’t just running routes; he’s part of the quarterback’s progression and the run game’s geometry. The next tight ends coach must be able to teach the position within the context of the entire offensive system, not in isolation.
That’s where Kelly’s background becomes extremely attractive.
Why Tim Kelly Makes So Much Sense
Kelly brings an unusually broad résumé for a position coach. He has been an NFL offensive coordinator, a quarterbacks coach, a passing game coordinator, and now a tight ends coach. He also played in the league as a defensive tackle with the Eagles, giving him a rare perspective from both sides of the ball.
His coaching career includes multiple stops as a primary play designer and caller. With the Texans, he rose from offensive quality control to tight ends coach and then to offensive coordinator, later adding quarterback development to his responsibilities. He went on to become passing game coordinator and then offensive coordinator in Tennessee. In New York, he was hired as the Giants’ tight ends coach and, after the mid-season coaching change in 2025, was trusted again with coordinator duties under interim head coach Mike Kafka.
Very few tight ends coaches in the league can say they have built full offensive game plans, designed weekly install schedules, and called plays on Sundays.
How Kelly Could Elevate Sam LaPorta and the Entire Offense
A coach with Kelly’s background doesn’t just teach route depth and hand placement. He teaches why the route exists, what coverage it’s attacking, how it fits the quarterback’s progression, and how the protection is structured behind it.
For a player like LaPorta, who already wins with intelligence and spatial awareness, that kind of instruction can take his game from Pro Bowl level to true All-Pro dominance. It also benefits the entire offense because tight ends are often the bridge between the run game, the passing game, and the protection scheme.
Kelly’s experience would allow him to function not only as a position coach, but as an extension of the offensive coordinator in game planning and design.
Why This Hire Matters for the Lions’ Championship Window
The Lions are not rebuilding. They believe they are close to contending again in 2026. That means every coaching hire must raise the overall football IQ of the staff and strengthen continuity.
Promoting someone with coordinator-level experience into a key developmental role gives Detroit both immediate value and future flexibility. It adds another strategic voice in the room, another teacher who can connect the dots between concepts, and another coach who understands what it takes to run an offense at the highest level.
Tim Kelly’s blend of coordinator experience, quarterback development, tight end coaching, and NFL playing background makes him one of the most logical and intriguing candidates to replace Tyler Roehl.
Jeff Bilbrey
Source link