Mike Disner enters his 16th season in the National Football League and his fourth season with the Detroit Lions. In May 2022, he was named the organization's Chief Operating Officer after previously serving as senior vice president of football and business administration. In his current role, Disner assumes responsibilities across both the football and business management, overseeing the team's football operations and football administration, as well as leading the Lions' strategy and revenue teams.
During the 2021 offseason, Disner worked alongside Principal Owner and Chair Sheila Hamp, President and CEO Rod Wood and Special Assistant to President/CEO and Chairperson Chris Spielman to reshape the culture and leadership of the Lions football operation. The group led a broad search that resulted in the hiring of Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Brad Holmes and Head Coach Dan Campbell. The newly formed group continues to shepherd a new era of success for the Lions organization.
Disner joined the Lions in 2019 with an extensive background in player contract negotiations and NFL salary cap regulations both at the club and League level. During his first two season with the club, he served as Vice President of Football Administration and focused on matters pertaining to the club's salary cap management, player contract negotiations and compliance with the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement. Disner also oversaw the club's analytics efforts and financial strategic planning as it relates to player acquisition and roster construction. In both 2020 and 2021, Disner was honored in The Athletic's "NFL 40 Under 40" list.
Prior to joining Detroit, Disner spent six seasons (2013-18) with the Arizona Cardinals as Director of Football Administration. During his time in Arizona, Disner served as the club's lead contract negotiator and a key member of the Cardinals leadership team overseeing the strategic planning and management of the team's salary cap. Disner's role also included serving as the organization's liaison to the NFL Management Council and overseeing the development of technical and analytical initiatives for both the player personnel department and coaching staff.
While in Arizona, Disner worked on key contract extensions with marquee players such as Carson Palmer, Patrick Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald, Chandler Jones and Tyrann Mathieu. Disner also contributed to the rise of the Cardinals under Head Coach Bruce Arians, where the organization won at least 10 games three straight years after the franchise had accomplished the feat just once in the previous 35 years.
During the 2014 offseason, Disner was selected to Forbes "30 Under 30" list, which honors 30 athletes or executives who are 30 years or younger and making a mark in the sports industry.
Prior to joining Arizona, Disner spent four years working at the National Football League Management Council, serving as labor operations manager (2012) and labor operations coordinator (2009-11). In these roles, Disner reviewed all aspects of player contracts while also managing the salary cap process. During this time his team developed new analytic tools to assist clubs in evaluating salary related decision making.
Disner was instrumental in negotiations that helped cultivate the Rookie Compensation Pool in the League's 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement, a system that is still used today.
Disner began his NFL career with the New England Patriots in 2007 as a scouting assistant after working as an intern for the Patriots for two summers (2005 and 2006). He was part of New England's personnel staff that helped the team capture the AFC title and an appearance in Super Bowl XLII.
A West Bloomfield, Mich. native, Disner played baseball at Williams College (Mass.) where he earned a degree in Economics. He and his wife, Gail, have two sons, Teddy and Archie.
