PHOENIX – Lions team president Rod Wood spoke to the media Tuesday at the conclusion of the Annual League Meetings in Arizona. Wood is headed toward much-deserved retirement to spend more time with family and friends but there is still work to be done before that becomes official. He spoke on a number of different team and league topics in a wide-ranging interview Tuesday.
Here are my five biggest takeaways from that media session:
1. Update on search for new president
Wood, who has been the Lions president and CEO since 2015, is set to retire before the start of the 2026 season. Wood will remain with the team until his successor is hired following a global search led by Russell Reynolds Associates.
Wood said Russell Reynolds Associates has been focused on identifying external candidates up to this point but will also review all the internal candidates and will start meeting with the candidates in April. Wood said an interview panel consisting of himself, Principal Owner and Chair Sheila Hamp, Senior Football Advisor to Ownership Chris Spielman, Owner/Vice Chair Bill Ford Jr. and Chief People and Diversity Officer Lindsay Verstegen will meet with potential candidates.
He said general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell will also get an opportunity to weigh in on the process.
"In terms of what I'm looking for, I'm looking for the best person to lead the Lions," Wood said. "Ideally somebody who has the right kind of executive presence and leadership skills. Some COO or CEO experience running a big organization. Doesn't necessarily have to be someone with football experience but that would be an advantage if it works out. Have a lot of really interesting people who have raised their hand, so we'll see where it goes."
2. Lions still in Super Bowl window
Wood started by backing Campbell as the right coach and Holmes as a 'tremendous' general manager. He also talked about the talented foundation of players who are still relatively young.
"Obviously, we're not happy with how the season ended last year," Wood said of Detroit missing the playoffs with a 9-8 record. "Injuries are never an excuse but eventually we have to have a year where we don't have more than other teams."
Wood also mentioned some tweaks to the coaching staff and getting younger along the offensive line as things that have him optimistic for the 2026 season.
"I don't know that too many teams who would trade rosters with us when you look at us top to bottom," he said. "And I think we have elite players at some of the most important positions."
He made the point that no one has closed the window on the Kansas City Chiefs and they won six games last year. It can come back just as fast as it goes the other way, he said.
3. Planning for Munich game underway
Detroit was overdue to play an international game. Wood said he campaigned for the Lions to play in Germany this upcoming season because of their marketing rights there and the popularity of wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Detroit sent a group to Munich a few weeks ago to get the lay of the land in terms of where they can host events for fans. They'll be sending another group from the football side in the coming weeks to scout practice facilities and hotels.
"We have some marketing ideas that we are putting into our budget," Wood said. "We are going to treat it like a pretty big deal from a fan experience standpoint."
Wood said it's unlikely the team will get a bye week following the International Series game because the Germany game is typically played in November and Detroit has their Annual Thanksgiving Day Game to navigate around that month as well.
Wood said he did petition the league to not have another Thursday game immediately following Thanksgiving.
4. What to expect from Rivalries uniform
The team will debut a new Rivalries alternate uniform look this season.
"They are very cool. Different, but in the realm of our current uniform pallet. You have to wear them against one of your division rivals at a home game, so it'll depend on how the schedule comes together. But I think the fans will like it. It's different, but kind of a cool factor."
The Rivalries look will join the team's rotation for three years, beginning with the upcoming 2026 season.
5. Getting an edge back
Campbell and Holmes have talked this offseason about getting back their edge and underdog mentality that spurred the team's success in 2023 and 2024. Wood was asked about it on Tuesday.
"I think one of the advantages of going through a year where you were disappointed is it does force you to think about things," he said.
The team drafted and developed well in 2021 and 2022 and that was the catalyst to their success. Those players went from hungry youngsters to stars. How do you manage the team that's now successful and has a bunch of stars?
Wood said the team can't recreate that situation but has talked about coming up with ideas to where the team has the same kind of hunger.
"The fact that we missed the playoffs and didn't win the division in itself creates some of that," he said. "I think some of the things we're looking at internally with injuries and how we practice and all those things will get us back on the right path."
