Lions will stay in Allen Park for training camp, no joint practices in 2021

All indications are that the NFL will get back to business as usual this fall and that means an opportunity for the Detroit Lions to host fans and/or traveling teams during training camp. While the Lions hosting fans is a real possibility, they won’t be traveling or partaking in any joint practices in 2021.

“We will stay here,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said at his press conference ahead of rookie mini-camp. “My thoughts right now are that I would rather stay here. This is our home base and this is where we get our work done. Not that that won’t change over the years, but right now, that’s what we’ll do.”

This makes sense for a first-year coach acclimating to a new position with a new organization. There is going to be a big adjustment period for coaches and players alike, and settling into a routine at their “home base” could help expedite the process.

Additionally, Campbell mentioned that the Lions did attempt to set up joint practices with a few other organizations, but they were late to the party—likely a casualty of the hiring process.

“I actually did reach out to some coaches, and I’ll be honest with you, I got in on it a little bit late,” Campbell elaborated. “So, a number of the coaches that I called had already had things set up. So, we struck out on that. I think it’ll probably be just us. We’ll be competing against each other for those four weeks of camp.”

Joint practices can be meaningful and entertaining, as they allow teams to get out of the routine of practicing against their own players. But, again, with so many new things happening in Allen park this offseason, missing out on joint practices may be a blessing in disguise.