Detroit Lions hired Mark Brunell as a quarterback coach, the first NFL coach job for the 19-year-old veteran who last played in the league in 2011.
Brunell is expected to be the tutor of Lions’ first full-time full-back in more than a decade, as Detroit has been trying to negotiate with Matthew Stafford, the team’s interlocutor since 2009, after he and the franchise mutually agreed to each other. separate earlier this month.
Brunell has gambling experience, at least, to potentially do this. He played most of his career in Jacksonville, starting 117 games in nine seasons, starting in 1995. He joined the league in 1993 as a fifth round pick for the Green Bay Packers.
It was in Jacksonville in 2003 and then with the New York Jets in 2010 and 2011, where he ran into the new Detroit offensive coordinator, Anthony Lynn, who was the running back trainer at the time. In 2009, Brunell played for the New Orleans Saints during the final year of new Lions coach, Dan Campbell, in the NFL. Brunell also played in Washington for three seasons.
Brunell played 193 career games (151 matches), completing 59.5% of his passes for 32,072 yards, 184 touchdowns and 108 interceptions. After retiring, Brunell was the head coach at Episcopal School in Jacksonville, Florida, a mentor for quarterbacks entering the NFL draft and a radio host at WJXT in Jacksonville.
Detroit also announced the hiring of Duce Staley as assistant coach / running back coach – the same title he won in Philadelphia since the 2018 season. Staley spent 10 seasons as a coach with the Eagles, working as a team quality control coach. after retiring from his 10-year NFL career.
Staley was interviewed for the position of coach of the Eagles after Doug Pederson was fired earlier this month.
Brunell and Staley are the last Lions coaches to play in the NFL. Campbell played 10 years in the league, Lynn seven, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn 15 and offensive coach Hank Fraley 11.