Thursday open thread: Will Jim Caldwell be the Lions coach in 2018?

Never too early to talk about the hot seat, especially when it comes to the head coach of the Detroit Lions.

It’s easy to make the argument that Caldwell is the most polarizing head coach in the city of Detroit, and that’s saying a lot. After all, he does share a town with the likes of Brad Ausmus, Jeff Blashill, and Stan Van Gundy—quite literally this season with the opening of Little Caesars Arena a couple blocks removed from Ford Field.

Also, it’s that time of the year to make predictions you can screenshot and show off to your friends and family like a putz or dump in the trash bin to never be thought of again, so let’s make some prognostications about the future of the Lions current head coach: Jim Caldwell.

Will Jim Caldwell be the Lions coach in 2018?

The working relationship Bob Quinn has with Caldwell leads me to believe that this won’t be his final year coaching in Detroit. A lot of that might depend on how well the team performs in the win-loss column, but it seems like the two are in-step with one another when it comes to player and personnel decisions.

Yeah, Jim Caldwell is always a hot topic in Metro Detroit. Win or lose, playoff berth or not, Caldwell inherited a team with playoff potential, but the fans are burning for more. In his three seasons, he’s compiled a record of 27-21 with two trips to the playoffs during his tenure with the Lions, but that’s just not enough. The proverbial hump feels more like an insurmountable mountain, and there’s a large contingent who think Caldwell is the problem.

To that collective, they’re making a mountain out of a mole hill. Coaching is important, but talent goes an awful long ways towards masking some of the deficiencies and shortcomings of a head coach; this team has done an awful lot of reshuffling to the depth on roster and improving the baseline of talent.

Also, hey, Jim Caldwell, he’s probably not nearly as bad as you think he is. And the players who suit up and play for him on game day, they find him to be a pretty likable guy, a great coach and leader, and quite the teacher.

Now, your turn to talk about Jim Caldwell’s coaching prospects in the future.