Dan Campbell Reveals Two Meanings of 'Salty' T-Shirt

Albert Breer reveals meaning of popular Lions t-shirt.

Dan Campbell talks to players after practice during the Detroit Lions training camp / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell donned the popular "Salty" t-shirt on an overcast Friday morning.

Many presume it is a reference to personal feelings of frustration regarding how the team is viewed or for negative remarks previously hurled at the coach, who started his tenure in Motown in 2021 with a three-win season.

Sports Illustrated NFL reporter Albert Breer spoke to the fourth-year head coach, after a practice that resembled a scrimmage, and shared his takeaways from the ninth Lions training camp practice.

"He explained to me it has two meanings. The first one is obvious: He wants a team that plays that way, with a real hard edge, which everyone knows. The second is less apparent," writes Breer. "He wants guys to be 'salt of the earth.' It’s important for him, as he tries to keep his team grounded after last year’s success, something that’s actually been relatively easy because he has a lot of guys who are, yes, salt of the earth."

Breer continued, "The work of three guys who just got paid -- St. Brown, Jared Goff and Penei Sewell -- came up with folks I talked to, which is a good sign that all the praise and hype the Lions have received won’t change them."

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Levi Onwuzurike star of training camp

Detroit's defensive line could have two players that earn north of $20 million annually, veteran offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler shared with reporters this week.

Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike have been productive, plus disruptive in the first week of practice with pads on.

Onwuzurike has been the talk of training camp, as he is healthy and a severe challenge for Detroit's offensive line to slow down.

Breer noted, "Combining Onwuzurike with Alim McNeill and D.J. Reader, when he gets healthy, the Lions should have a fearsome interior rotation bookended by Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport, who Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn know from New Orleans."

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