Fresh job opening could uniquely test Kelvin Sheppard's loyalty to Dan Campbell
Amid all the injuries the Detroit Lions' defense dealt with last season, former coordinator Aaron Glenn had to work magic with a skeleton crew. But Kelvin Sheppard took that to a different level in Week 7, as his unit held the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to nine points and 251 yards of offense.
If the Lions' defense continues to perform like it has, it's not out of the question Sheppard will have opportunities to interview for head coaching jobs after the season. The question would be if he'll take those opportunities to interview, or take a head coaching job if it were offered to him after just one year as a coordinator.
Sheppard has consistently revealed why he is so loyal to Lions head coach Dan Campbell, right down to wondering if he should change his hair style and how Campbell flatly told him not to.
"Thinking about cutting your what? What?", Sheppard recalled Campbell saying when he interviewed to be the Lions' linebackers coach in 2021, via Kyle Meinke of MLive. "Are you crazy? First of all, I love your hair. But seriously, Shep, if I’m hiring you, if anybody’s hiring you, they’re hiring you because of you. You got those jobs because of who you are, not because of somebody you’re trying to become. That resonated with me.”
Upon being promoted to replace Glenn, Sheppard revealed he had opportunities to be a defensive coordinator elsewhere. But he held to his previous assertion about not wanting to work for anyone but Campbell.
New job opening is set to really test Kelvin Sheppard's loyalty to Dan Campbell
On Sunday night, after a bad loss to Texas A&M on Saturday night, the news moved fasted and LSU fired head coach Brian Kelly despite a hefty buyout.
Sheppard played at LSU from 2007-2010. After he retired as a player, he went back to his alma mater as Director of Player Development in 2020.
Earlier this month, Kory Woods of MLive asked Sheppard how that year back at LSU helped him form close relationships with players.
Before he joined Dan Campbell's staff in 2021, #Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard served as the Director of player development at @LSUfootball.
Today, I asked him how that role helped him build a bond with players on the Lions defense.
: @Lions pic.twitter.com/QkkDPkHD8X
— Kory Woods, MSW (@KoryEWoods) October 2, 2025
"That’s very interesting that you brought that up, because I tell everybody that made me the coach that I am", Sheppard said. "Because you have to understand the person before you understand the player. You’re never going to get through to the player if you don’t know the person, and it’s as simple as that "And I respect these guys as people first."
"It helps that I sat in that seat, and I know what it feels like to be a number versus a person. And when you see them as people, they see you as a person," Sheppard said "And that’s relatable. Like in this game, that’s relatable. You can coach them a certain way when they know you have their best interest."
"That role that I had at LSU was a beautiful thing. A lot of it was chasing kids around, making sure they were in class, not in class, ‘Where are you? Why are you doing this? You can’t talk to the coach like that.’ But I learned throughout that it’s all different types of people, man," said Sheppard. "It’s ones who get it the first time, it’s ones who learn from others, and then it’s ones who take more that take multiple times."
While LSU is sure to have some big fish on their radar, Sheppard has quickly surfaced on some lists of candidates to replace Kelly. A lot of fan sentiment on social media has also landed firmly in favor of him as a candidate.
Sheppard isn't the type of coach who will let anything outside the lines of football, or simply where he'd like to work, drive where he goes in his career. But if LSU wants him, they can make him a significant financial offer while tapping into the affinity he has for his alma mater.
As loyal as he is to Campbell, it's very possible Sheppard will choose to spend at least one more year as the Lions' defensive coordinator before he seriously entertains opportunities to become a head coach.
If they do a thorough search to replace Kelly, it's fair to assume LSU will reach out to Sheppard. He may say "thanks, but no thanks", but one thing is for sure.
LSU can test Sheppard's loyalty to Campbell and the Lions like no other head coaching opportunity can. It's just a matter of if they will pursue him, and how far they might go in the effort to hire him.
Analyst Calls Browns Key Offseason Move ‘A Massive Mistake’
The Cleveland Browns made a major move this offseason, but one analyst isn’t a fan of it.
After another disappointing season, Cleveland made a big move to re-sign star pass rusher Myles Garrett. Garrett has requested a trade, but the Browns ended up giving him a four-year, $160 million contract with over $123 million guaranteed.
Although Garrett is one of the top pass rushers in the NFL, Browns analyst Daryl Ruiter called the extension a massive mistake.
“I think the biggest mistake the Browns made was extending Myles,” Ruiter said on 92.3 The Fan. “I think that was a massive mistake on their end, I understand why they did it. You don’t want to be the organization that trades a future Hall of Famer, I get that. How competitive are you with Myles right now? You have a future Hall of Famer that’s doing record-breaking things, and you’re non-competitive. That’s why it was a bad decision for them to extend Myles. They should’ve traded him.”
As Ruiter points out, despite Garrett being dominant, the Browns still aren’t winning games, so he thought general manager Andrew Berry should have traded Garrett.
Had the Browns traded Garrett, Cleveland likely would’ve been able to acquire multiple draft picks, including first-rounders and perhaps some impact NFL players, which is why Ruiter called the extension a massive mistake.
Browns Send Message to Garrett After Outburst
During Cleveland’s blowout loss to the New England Patriots in Week 8, Garrett had another dominant game.
The star pass rusher recorded 5 sacks and a forced fumble in a dominant game. But, despite his performance, the Browns were getting blown out when Garrett slammed his helmet on the sideline in frustration.
Following the loss, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski responded to Garrett’s frustration.
“We’re all frustrated,” Stefanski said postgame. “Obviously, in those moments, we want to make sure it doesn’t get the best of us. But with that frustration comes a resolve, and I know Myles and I know him as a leader, I know the leaders in this football team will show that mental, will show that resolve.”
Garrett, meanwhile, said he was frustrated that he wasn’t on the field at that point in the game, regardless of the score.
“Frustrated,” he said. “I want to win. No matter how much time is on the clock, they got their starters in, there’s a chance we can win, I want to be a part of that. I don’t care how dire the situation looks. I want to try to make something happen, so I hate coming out in a situation, I hate that kind of inevitability. And not being able to do anything about it.”
Stefanski Hopeful Team Turns it Around
Heading into the Browns’ bye week, Stefanski said the goal is to start winning.
The head coach is also frustrated as Garrett is, but he’s confident the team can turn it around.
“I think it’s really so specific to all of us. We know we have a job to do – the fun in this business is winning, so, there’s the frustration that comes with losing a game, is very real. But how you channel that and how you, like you said, use it as fuel moving forward, I think is really important,” Stefanski concluded.
The Browns will go on the road to play the New York Jets in Week 10 after their bye.
