Detroit Lions ownership offers letter explaining retainment of Matt Patricia

Just about 24 hour after Detroit Lions ownership met with the media and told them of their intentions of retaining head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn, they sent out a message to the public in a statement on DetroitLions.com entitled “Open letter to Lions fans.”

The statement, co-authored by team owner Martha Firestone Ford, her daughter Sheila Ford Hamp and team president Rod Wood, explains why the Lions made their decision and what their expectations are going forward.

In terms of their evaluation of the team, they expressed that they weren’t happy with the final result of 2019, but their assessment goes beyond their record.

“We see signs of this foundation in our team’s toughness, competitiveness and culture,” the letter reads. “Injuries happen in the NFL and are never an excuse. Nonetheless, our team has played through serious injuries this season to some of our best players. Despite the injuries, we have remained competitive in each game and our team depth showed up as a strength.”

The letter also noted that long-term planning requires patience to be successful, but expectations are high starting next year.

“We also believe that the most successful teams in our league have a long-term plan, stability in leadership and exhibit patience to follow their plan. To that end, we are committed to year three of Coach Patricia’s plan. To be clear, our expectation is for the Lions to be a playoff contender in 2020.”

The statement also confirms that season ticket prices will not be raised, and in many cases, lowered.

You can read the entire statement right here.