Pressers and scrums: LaPorta practices, Joseph's health, Gibbs the bellcow, rookie QB impresses, and (non) reaction to Garrett trade
Allen Park — Ahead of Thursday’s OTA practice, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing met with the media. Then, after the practice, offensive tackle Penei Sewell, center Cade Mays, wide receiver Jameson Williams and running back Jahmyr Gibbs talked to reporters.
Here are the highlights from those conversations.
Practice participation
It was a light day of practice on Thursday with no full-speed, seven-on-seven work. Instead of providing limited observations, let’s focus on participation.
Critically, cornerback Terrion Arnold and tight end Sam LaPorta were on the field. Both went inside for planned, continued treatment midway through the session, declining interview requests along the way.
The only Lions not on the field were safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, offensive lineman Ben Bartch, undrafted rookie tight end Miles Kitselman and rookie receiver Kendrick Law, who suffered a torn ACL earlier in the week.
To replace Law, the Lions signed wide receiver Kyre Duplessis. The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder is an undrafted rookie out of Delaware, via Coastal Carolina. He had 60 catches for 824 yards and five touchdowns last season. He also has some limited return work on the resume, including a punt return for a touchdown in 2025.
Still in wait-and-see mode
Joseph hasn’t played in a game since Oct. 12. The Lions spent two months trying to strengthen the leg muscles around his knee to add stability before conceding he wouldn’t return to action in 2025, officially placing him on injured reserve on Dec. 20.
Nearly a half year later, with the early portion of the offseason program underway and training camp on the horizon, the team still lacks clarity on whether the 25-year-old former All-Pro safety will ever be able to return to form.
Joseph has been on the sideline the two OTA practices open to the media, but the team is keeping him in bubble wrap instead of putting unnecessary strain on the balky knee during this time of year.
“I honestly do not know,” Campbell said ahead of Thursday’s practice. “I know this. We've done everything we can do and he's done everything he can do to this point. And we are trying to be as smart as we can and not push this until we absolutely have to because once we've done that, then we'll know one way or another. It's not worth it right now. We're just slowly building, continuing the strength in there.
“He's getting treatment,” Campbell continued. “He's done some of these different things at different places to try to help. So, I feel good about that. I feel good that we've done everything we can and so has he. …Honestly, we probably won't know until we get into the thick of training camp.”
Joseph has occasionally posted photos on social media, including one of an acupuncture session, but Campbell declined to elaborate any more on the treatments Joseph has explored this offseason.
If Joseph can’t play, the Lions have loaded the roster with insurance options, bringing back Thomas Harper and Avonte Maddox and signing free agents Christian Izien and Chuck Clark.
Izien has been filling in for Joseph as the free safety with the top defensive grouping during these early practices.
“He's a pretty headsy player,” Campbell said. “He's pretty violent: See ball, hit ball. He hasn't done a ton on the back end with depth. And so those are things we're working through. But, I feel like those are things he can do. But, there again, we won't know until we get into it in real time. But I know he's got some football player to him and I really like that (safety) group.”
Lions not worried about Rams’ approach
Campbell’s reaction to Monday’s blockbuster trade that saw the Rams land future Hall of Fame edge rusher Myles Garrett could best be described as a shrug.
“Yeah, I mean good for them,” Campbell said. “I mean, they’ve won (the Super Bowl) now, right? Honestly, I had no (reaction). I mean, he’s a hell of a player. (Jared) Verse is a hell of a player. They’re two totally different players, but that was what they felt like they needed to do and good for them.”
Petzing, meanwhile, offered some personal perspective, having been on the coaching staff in Cleveland during the early stages of Garrett’s career.
“I was in the building with him for three years, so I saw it first-hand,” Petzing said. “He's a great player, kind of like the guys we talked about on this offense. I don't know if there's a weakness in his game. He does so many things at such a high level, plays with such violence, so great player.”
Petzing closed the point by reminding reporters that the Lions don’t play the Rams this season, unless they catch them in the playoffs.
“I know right now he's not on the schedule, so I hope we're playing him this year,” Petzing said.
Emphasis on rush doesn’t diminish stopping run
Under Campbell, former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and current DC Kelvin Sheppard, there’s been a heavy emphasis on stopping the run to earn the right to rush the passer.
However, this offseason, the team has added several defensive linemen who are known more for their pass-rush ability than run-stopping prowess. That includes all three of the defensive linemen the team selected in the draft — Derrick Moore, Skyler Gill-Howard and Tyre West.
Campbell was asked if that approach represented the scales being tilted more toward rushing the passer.
“Well, we certainly wanted to see if we can add a little bit of juice in there on the perimeter, but also in the middle,” Campbell acknowledged.
However, the coach still expects competency from the newcomers when defending the run.
“You got to be able to show you can hold your own, at least,” Campbell said. “You don't have to be dominant. So, that'll be things we're going to have to work through once we get into camp.”
Ready to shoulder the load
After playing fewer than 60% of the offensive snaps each of his first two seasons, Gibbs was slightly above 67% in 2025, after taking over the starting role.
That resulted in a career-high 320 touches, 1,839 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns. And even though the Lions have indicated that they always intend to have a degree of balance to the backfield of rotation — adding former Kansas City starter Isiah Pacheco to serve as the new complement this offseason — they’re no longer shying away from the idea that Gibbs can and will shoulder a heavy load.
“He's going to be our bellcow now,” Campbell said. “He really became more of that last year, but we're going to hang our hat on him quite a bit. We're going to do a lot of things we feel like he does well.
“He can run everything that we've got (in the play book),” Campbell said. “He can run every scheme that anybody's ever run. He's not just an outside runner. He is not just a space runner. He can create his own space in the middle. And some of his biggest runs have been gap scheme right down the pipe where he's had patience and found it and guys blocked it up well. So, we're going to ask a lot of him.”
Part of the expanded duties, according to Gibbs, is increased urgency with his receiving role. A focus seemingly every offseason, the back said the team isn’t waiting until the middle of training camp to focus on his route running. Instead, Petzing has made it a point of emphasis on Day 1 of the offseason program.
To the surprise of no one, Gibbs is ready for as much work as the Lions are willing to give him.
“It’s not anything I’m not used to,” Gibbs said. “Growing up, I’ve always been the person with the most carries, so I’m not looking at it different than any other year.”
Gibbs, who is up for a contract extension, said he’s leaving those conversations to his agent so he can focus on “the team and ball.”
“I’m just trying to hoop right now,” Gibbs said.
Focused on completing the process
Williams was light on details, but said his offseason emphasis has been on “catching.” That seems as good a focus as any for a receiver, if you ask me.
Williams is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, but he did experience a spike in drops in 2025, putting nine catchable throws on the ground after letting just two slip through his hands the season before.
Williams believes his issues were more mental than physical.
Picking up things quickly
Undrafted rookie quarterback Luke Altmyer, who will spend his inaugural offseason trying to convince the Lions to carry three QBs on the 53-man roster, has made a strong initial impression with the coaching staff.
“Yeah, he didn't lack confidence, for sure,” Campbell said. “What we thought he would be at this point, I would say it's kind of held true. And what I mean by that is he's able to kind of retain the information. …He’s got a lot on his plate, but he knows what the calls are, he knows where guys are supposed to be, the shifts, the motions and that's good for a young guy.”
Petzing noted that the ability for a young player to pick things up quickly is the key to their success, particularly at the quarterback position, because they’re the backstop for the rest of the offense being lined up correctly.
“I think he’s really embraced that and I think that’s been kind of the fun thing to get to work with him,” Petzing said. “You are building it from the ground up. He doesn’t have that foundation right now, and so we’re trying to set that foundation. I think he’s embracing that challenge.”
Petzing said Altmyer has been “unflappable” during his first few weeks in the building.
“I think there are, especially with some young quarterbacks, you can see some nerves in the way that they call plays or get out of the huddle or act post snap,” Petzing said. “Whereas with him, I think he has a ton of confidence in his ability and you feel that in the way he just goes in and out of the huddle and plays the game. …He never seems overwhelmed by what we’re asking him to do or how we’re asking him to do it. He’s willing to learn and to work at it, which has been great.”
Appeal of aggressiveness
While the fanbase is often split on Campbell’s aggressiveness on fourth down — especially when it doesn’t work out — it was interesting to hear center Cade Mays list that as one of the reasons he wanted to sign with Detroit this offseason.
Mays, one of the new kids on the block, has been honed in on getting on the same page as quarterback Jared Goff. The center-quarterback communication is critical to an offense’s success and the new snapper has been appreciative of how much Goff is helping with the acclimation process.
“Obviously, he’s been in this offense longer than me, so it’s just learning how he sees things, how he communicates and upping my game to that level,” Mays said. “…I feel like we’ve done a great job this week. Jared has been awesome with helping me with the questions I have and the looks.”
Maintaining the standard
Sewell is 25 years old, and yet, somehow, he’s the longest-tenured player among his position group and one of the longest tenured on Detroit’s roster.
“I know every year we talk about it (being) a different year, but this one is kind of feeling a lot different because all the guys that I came in with are not here anymore,” Sewell said. “It’s a lot of new faces.”
When Sewell arrived as a rookie, he joined a veteran starting group that included Taylor Decker, Frank Ragnow, Jonah Jackson and Halapoulivaati Vaitai. In the five years since, Ragnow and Vaitai retired, Jackson departed in free agency and Decker, after flirting with retirement this offseason, was granted his release after rejecting a proposed pay cut.
Sewell, who has already been serving as a captain, said it falls on him to uphold the standard he learned under the veterans who came before him.
“The standard is the same,” Sewell said. “I’m the one who has been here the longest in the room, so it’s up to me to really hold that and really show the guys, not just tell them. That’s the most important. You have to come out here each and every day because they’re not going to follow you if you’re not doing it yourself.”