The pressure surrounding Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard is becoming harder to ignore.
Detroit’s defense has struggled throughout the first four games of the 2026 season, and Sunday’s 32-26 loss to the Carolina Panthers only intensified the questions surrounding the unit.
Carolina quarterback Bryce Young threw for 329 yards, while wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan finished with 14 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
The Lions ultimately allowed 445 total yards and 32 points, dropping their record to 2-2.
For one Detroit columnist, the latest performance was enough to argue that the Lions need to make a change at defensive coordinator.
The Numbers Are Becoming Difficult to Defend
The criticism isn’t coming without evidence.
Detroit has surrendered 1,695 total yards through four games, the most in the NFL. The Lions have also allowed 1,308 passing yards, another league-worst figure.
Their scoring defense has been just as problematic.
Detroit is giving up 31.8 points per game, putting enormous pressure on Jared Goff and the offense to produce nearly every time they take the field.
The Panthers game highlighted the problem.
Carolina entered the matchup dealing with several injuries of its own, including absences along the offensive line and at wide receiver. Yet the Lions still struggled to slow down Young and McMillan.
That has made the defensive performance particularly frustrating for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Injuries Aren’t the Only Explanation
Detroit has legitimate injury problems in the secondary.
Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph have been unavailable, while Thomas Harper and Avonte Maddox have also dealt with injuries.
Getting those players back would obviously help.
But the criticism of Sheppard goes beyond personnel.
The argument from those calling for a coaching change is that Detroit’s defensive problems have repeatedly involved game planning, adjustments and the inability to consistently respond when opposing offenses find weaknesses.
That puts much of the responsibility on Sheppard as the defensive play-caller.
The Lions have now played 21 games with Sheppard in that role, giving critics a larger sample size to evaluate.
Campbell Isn’t Ready to Make the Change
Dan Campbell, however, has shown no indication that he is preparing to move on from his defensive coordinator.
After the Panthers loss, Campbell was asked about Sheppard’s future.
His response was straightforward.
“I’m not talking about all that,” Campbell said. “I’m talking about getting better right now with what we got.”
Campbell has repeatedly emphasized that he believes Detroit can improve with its current personnel.
That position puts the responsibility on both the players and coaching staff to fix what has gone wrong.
And Campbell isn’t simply putting the blame on his players.
He has acknowledged that the coaching staff has to demand better execution and discipline.
The Arizona Game Suddenly Carries More Weight
The Lions now have a chance to respond when they travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals on Sunday.
Detroit’s defense doesn’t need to become elite overnight.
But it does need to show some progress.
The Cardinals have their own issues, meaning another defensive collapse would make it increasingly difficult to argue that the problem is simply the quality of opposing offenses.
For Campbell, the next step is finding a way to get the defense playing smarter, cleaner and more consistently.
For Sheppard, every game adds another piece of evidence for those evaluating his performance.
The Lions still have time to turn the season around.
But if the defensive struggles continue, the conversation surrounding Sheppard is unlikely to disappear.
It could become one of the biggest decisions Campbell and the Lions’ front office have to make before the season is over.
