The Detroit Lions’ hiring of Drew Petzing this week as their next offensive coordinator drew some outrage from Lions fans on the internet, so much so that wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown had to tell fans to “relax” on an episode of his podcast.

Some Lions fans seemed to really want Mike McDaniel, while most were unclear as to who they actually preferred and simply knew they didn’t like the hire Detroit had made. Whether or not these anonymous Internet users know the ins and outs of NFL coaching and have a deep knowledge of coordinator candidates across the league is unknown, but maybe don’t bet on it.

Anyway, Petzing will have plenty of talented players to deploy in his offense. And one position in particular could stand to benefit the most— the tight ends.

Lions’ tight ends are set to become focal point under Petzing in 2026

Under Petzing’s stewardship, the Arizona Cardinals’ Trey McBride broke the NFL’s all-time record for catches in a season by a tight end with 126 in 2025. He is the first tight end in NFL history with over 100 receptions in back to back seasons.

 Arizona ran the eighth-most 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) and the third most 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends) in the NFL last season.

That’s an interesting thing to monitor as the NFL continues to move more and more towards heavy sets. The Los Angeles Rams ran more than double the amount of 13 personnel as any other team in the NFL on their way to an NFC championship appearance and possibly a Super Bowl berth.

And Detroit, with star tight end Sam LaPorta and one of the better No. 2s in the league in Brock Wright, are well-positioned to follow this trend if that’s what Petzing wants to do.

The Lions’ running game was uncharacteristically ineffective in 2025, and one way to get things back on track in that regard with a subpar offensive line is to put more heavy bodies on the field.

Of course, it should be noted that part of the reason McBride was so prolific in 2025 was the lack of other options within Arizona’s offense. Arizona’s two best running backs missed nearly the whole season with injury and Marvin Harrison Jr.’s career has gotten off to an underwhelming start.

Wideout Michael Wilson is one of the NFL’s most underrated players, but he might not be at the level of a true No. 1 wide receiver just yet. (He might get there, though)

There exists no such problem in Detroit, with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery (barring a trade of the latter, which seems entirely possible at the current moment).

Still, LaPorta has a unique blend of route running, yards after the catch and blocking prowess that is rare for the tight end position. He’s got the talent to be a top 3 tight end in the league, and Petzing’s work with McBride should have Lions fans excited about what he could do with LaPorta.

Petzing probably won’t run quite as much heavy personnel as he did in Arizona because Detroit’s wideouts are too talented to keep off the field for long, especially if Isaac TeSlaa makes a second-year leap.

But the Lions were 16th in 12 personnel rate and 12th in 13 personnel rate in 2025. That number could stand to creep up a bit with Petzing in town, and if it does, look for LaPorta to be a huge beneficiary.

The tight end is recovering from season-ending back surgery, but if he rounds into form by the time next season rolls around, he could have a career year– just in time for free agency in the 2027 offseason.

“Hopefully an even better player [will] come in the future, once I rehab and get healthy again,” LaPorta said earlier this month.

Perhaps the first indicator of how much Petzing will bring his multi-tight end approach to Detroit will be if they choose to invest more in the position this offseason, by either bringing in a reliable veteran or spending significant draft capital on one. Beyond LaPorta and Wright, the Lions currently lack needle-moving players at tight end.

They say the NFL is a copycat league, and the Rams have made it all the way to the doorstep of the Super Bowl while having a veteran pocket passer, a premier wideout duo and heavy use of multi-tight end sets. That looks relatively easy to emulate in Detroit, and their new offensive coordinator hire could be the first step towards the Lions adopting a similar approach.

So if you’re thinking of a tight end to earmark for fantasy football in 2026, No. 87 in Detroit might not be a bad one to start with.