Brad Holmes: I Never Want to Let Dan Campbell Down

Holmes and Campbell have developed a strong partnership since arriving in 2021.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes. / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions have been one of the best stories in the NFL over the last three seasons.

Under the leadership of Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell, the Lions have gone from one of the worst teams in 2021 to one of the best three years later.

The two have proven to be an elite pairing, as they have developed a shared vision that has been a driving force in the Lions' climb to becoming one of the best teams in football. Speaking with WXYZ-TV ahead of the team's Monday Night Football matchup with Seattle, Holmes explained why he and Campbell have been able to work so well together.

"I've always said from day one, incredibly blessed, incredibly fortunate to be in this position to work with Dan," Holmes said. "Obviously, it's been a privilege because we saw so much eye-to-eye right off the bat, but with any good relationship, it's even more trust, even better trust. Now, it's, we're anticipating each other's thoughts and even over-communicating, still doing it the right way. It's been awesome. "

INTERVIEW: Lions GM Brad Holmes sat down with @WXYZDetroit ahead of Monday Night Football to discuss the way he's built the team into a contender.

He talked with me about the Lions' draft success, his memorable postgame moments with fans, and his relationship with Dan Campbell. pic.twitter.com/XcX3Vcjprp

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) September 30, 2024

Much of the cohesion comes from a shared desire to win at the highest level. Campbell and Holmes have lauded each other throughout their time together, praising each other's willingness to put personal credit or gain aside for the better interests of the team.

As a result, a teammate-style bond has been built between the two, as well as the entirety of the Lions' front office. Holmes is fueled in his decision-making by a desire to not let the head coach down, or to avoid leaving him without necessary resources to succeed.

"From a day-to-day standpoint, I just want to make sure that he's equipped with everything that he needs to make sure that the team is running at a high level," Holmes explained. "It's a relentless pursuit, relentless climb. You have attrition, injuries, all that stuff. So I just never want to let him down, and I never want to put him in a position where he feels shorthanded. And vice versa, he's always the one that, whoever we have to play with, he's always trying to squeeze every single drop of ability out of every single player. It just works. Neither one of us, we don't care about credit and egos and any of that kind of stuff. All of us have seen, countless times, where that stuff can bring things down."

Holmes noted, when asked about going all-in, that he is not a prisoner of the moment. He understands the natural desire to want to push for talent to be traded for and to sacrifice draft picks, but reiterated he and Campbell must always have an eye on winning now and in the future too.