Bruce Gradkowski enters his second season with the Lions, and first as assistant wide receivers coach, in 2026.

Bruce Gradkowski enters his second season with the Lions, and first as assistant wide receivers coach, in 2026.

In 2025, Gradkowski assisted the team's wide receivers, helping WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams become the second wide receiver duo in franchise history to each log at least 65 receptions, 1,100 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in a season, joining the duo of WRs Herman Moore and Brett Perriman in 1995. St. Brown was named Second-Team AP All-Pro and earned Pro Bowl honors after posting 117 receptions for 1,401 yards (12.0 avg.) and 11 touchdowns, ranking tied-for-second in the NFL in touchdown receptions, fifth in receptions and fifth in receiving yards. Williams posted single-season career highs in receptions (65) and receiving yards (1,117) while tying his career best with seven touchdown receptions in 2025. Williams ranked third in the NFL in receiving average (17.2) while also ranking fourth in receiving first down percentage (75.4%) and tying for the ninth-most receiving yards in 2025, with his 15.9 scrimmage yards per touch average also leading all NFL players with at least 50 touches.

Prior to joining the Lions, Gradkowski spent two seasons (2023-24) as the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Battlehawks, who spent the 2024 season in the UFL and the 2023 season in the XFL. In both of his seasons leading the Battlehawks' offense, the team finished second in their respective leagues in points scored.

Before transitioning to professional coaching, Gradkowski spent the 2022 season as an offensive analyst at Toledo, the 2021 season as the head coach of St. Francis de Sales High School (Toledo, Ohio) and was a volunteer assistant quarterbacks coach at Anthony Wayne High School (Whitehouse, Ohio) from 2017-18.

Prior to launching his coaching career, Gradkowski was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round (194th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft out of Toledo. Splitting his career with the Buccaneers (2006-07), Cleveland Browns (2008), Oakland Raiders (2009-10), Cincinnati Bengals (2011-12) and Pittsburgh Steelers (2013-16), he appeared in 37-career games (20 starts) and completed 375-of-709 passes (52.9%) for 4,057 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Gradkowski is married to his wife, Miranda, and they have one daughter, Lily, and two sons, Roman and Lincoln.