Jimmie Dougherty

Lions team president Rod Wood is set to retire sometime before the 2026 season, and Detroit is currently in the process of finding his replacement.

The team has only interviewed internal candidates so far. A search firm is working to identify external candidates who will begin interviewing in April, Wood said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). The panel will include Wood, owner Sheila Hamp, and a number of other top executives including former Lions linebacker Chris Spielman. Head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes will also have the opportunity to offer their input.

“In terms of what I’m looking for, I’m looking for the best person to lead the Lions,” Wood continued. “Ideally somebody who’s got the right kind of executive presence and leadership skills, some COO or CEO experience running a big organization. It doesn’t necessarily have to be somebody with football experience but that would be an advantage if it works out.

A number of other NFC teams have also made staffing moves in recent weeks:

• The Rams added former Browns general manager Phil Savage as a consultant in their personnel department, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Savage most recently worked for the Jets, starting in 2019 as a senior personnel advisor. He finished the 2024 season as the interim general manager after Joe Douglas was fired and served as a consultant to the new regime last year.
• The Commanders hired John Glenn as a special teams assistant, per a team announcement. He will work alongside special teams coordinator Larry Izzo and his assistant, Brian Schneider, who is going through cancer treatment, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.
• Former University of Washington offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty has been hired by the Seahawks as an offensive assistant, a NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He will become the latest Huskies coach to move to the local NFL team, a pipeline that included his predecessor, Ryan Grubb.
• The Cardinals reunited with Nick Hart as a scouting assistant, according to Inside the League’s Neil Stratton. He previous worked in Arizona as a Nunn-Wooten scouting fellow.
• Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni indicated (via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP) that former offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland would not return to Philadelphia this year, though he did not rule out the possibility.