Sunday open thread: Do you approve of the Detroit Lions extending Jim Caldwell?

On Saturday, it finally came to light that the Detroit Lions had offered head coach Jim Caldwell a multi-year contract extension. The news came after the Lions started the 2017 season with two big wins. However, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, the deal was struck all the way back during the spring.

Though we don’t know how long Caldwell is now under contract for, it’s clear that general manager Bob Quinn believes he is currently the right man for the job. Even though Quinn has thrown his support for Caldwell publicly in the past, this is the first time we’ve seen him put his money where is mouth is.

Caldwell has an impressive 29-21 record as the Lions head coach and has made the playoffs twice in three years, but hasn’t made any significant accomplishments beyond that. Detroit still hasn’t won the division and remains winless in the postseason since the 1991 season.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Did the Lions make the right decision signing JIm Caldwell to a multi-year extension?

My answer: I guess so. I’m honestly pretty indifferent.

I think Jim Caldwell has done a fine job as Detroit’s head coach thus far. It’s a little much to expect him to immediately win a playoff game in his first few years, considering none of the previous seven coaches were able to accomplish that. He currently has the best win percentage for a Lions head coach since the ‘50s. Detroit has needed some continuity in their coaching staff, and now they have that wrapped up for the foreseeable future.

That being said, I personally was taking the wait-and-see approach with Caldwell this season. He has a lot to prove in 2017, and I didn’t see a problem waiting until the year was over before making a move on Caldwell.

I don’t think it’s ever smart to give a coach an ultimatum like “win a playoff game or you’re out”—there are too many factors out of a coach’s control (injuries, officiating, etc) that could affect a season’s outcome. But Detroit could have waited to see if coaching cost the team in 2017 before hastily throwing a new contract his way.

That doesn’t mean I’m against the move, I’m not. If things go sour this year, the Lions could always fire Caldwell anyways. I’m just a little surprised to see Quinn pull the trigger back in the spring.

Your turn.