Subscribe
Follow Us
New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was one of the biggest names on the coaching market for teams this offseason. However, he finally made his decision to become the next head coach of the Detroit Lions.
The move came as a bit of a surprise considering many assumed he would join the New York Giants. According to Paul Schwartz the New York Post, Patricia reportedly was not all that intrigued with the prospect of playing under the bright lights of the big city:
“The people I spoke to that work with him and know him didn’t think he was ready for a high-profile job,’’ the source told The Post. “They thought it would be Detroit or Arizona, where he could kind of cut his teeth, they didn’t think he was ready to leave the nest yet.’’
While the reports are mere speculation, there could potentially be some truth to them. Despite their recent struggles, the Giants are one of the most high-profile teams in the league. That said, Patricia would have been under a microscope all season long in the largest media market in the nation.
As a result, it seems he has decided to start his head coaching career in Detroit where there will be much less scrutiny. Regardless, the expectations will remain the same. The Lions missed the playoffs this season after finishing with a 9-7 record while parting ways with former head coach Jim Caldwell in the process.
Needless to say, Detroit is optimistic that Patricia's championship pedigree can help them take that next step as consistent playoff contenders. The Lions have been in and out of the postseason for the last five years and have not made it past the Wild Card Round since 1991.
