Lions’ coaching hire could lead to Detroit signing a new backup quarterback and gain another coach in the future

Yardbarker

The Detroit Lions recently hired former NFL quarterback Bruce Gradkowski for his first NFL coaching job. At this point we don’t know what his role will be on the staff, but if we’re speculating, assistant quarterbacks coach makes a lot of sense. 

While this is Gradkowski’s first coaching job in the NFL, it’s not his first coaching job. He’s spent the last couple years as the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Battlehawks in both the UFL and the XFL. It was there that he coached former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron. 

McCarron is no stranger to the NFL. He spent nine years in the NFL. Most of them with the Bengals. With Gradkowski he really shined in the last two years. Yeah the competition isn’t as tough as it in the NFL, but McCarron has become maybe the best quarterback of spring football in the last two seasons. 

The Lions should look to have Gradkowski bring McCarron with him to be a backup quarterback for the Lions because he can bring something that a lot of other quarterbacks can’t bring, he can be a player/coach. 

This is the reason why McCarron keeps getting shots in the NFL despite the fact that he hasn’t been an All-Pro player or anything like that. It’s because he has been one of those guys that has a good mind for the game. McCarron has stated that he has interest in coaching, but is looking to play more after the Battlehawks released him in November. The Lions present a chance to kill two birds with one stone. 

The idea here isn’t necessarily that McCarron would be on 53-man roster. It would be more like a David Blough type situation where Blough spent his last year as a player on the Lions practice squad helping Hendon Hooker. Then he took job on the Commanders coaching staff. 

McCarron in that same player/coach role could help him transition into an NFL job while also getting a chance to have one final year on an NFL roster. Ideally, the Lions would then look to add him to their staff because realistically, teams are going to come calling for Mark Brunell at some point. 

Having someone on the roster like that can be invaluable for everyone. It’s like having a third quarterbacks coach. You can never invest too much into that position. 

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