Lions almost lost a key front office member this offseason

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have been busy making moves this offseason, and they have a new crew of rookies from the 2026 NFL Draft ready to train up and get on the field.

Consistency means something in the NFL, and that's a hard reality the Lions learned last season. They went from No. 1 in the NFC North to the bottom after losing both defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to NFL head coaching gigs.

During the offseason, the Minnesota Vikings tapped a key piece of the Lions' front office to interview for their vacant general manager position. If he had received the gig, it would have been a shakeup to Detroit's front office, and not in a good way.

Lions just avoided losing a key piece of their front office

On May 12, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported the Vikings had requested an interview with Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew for the general manager opening. This wasn't a surprise, because Agnew is seen as a fantastic assistant general manager, and taking someone from the NFC North would have been a sneaky move.

But, Lions fans can rest easy that it appears Agnew isn't going anywhere. Minnesota narrowed its search this week, and according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports and other reports, Agnew is no longer on the list.

There's a good chance the Vikings will promote from within. As Brad Berreman of SideLion Report points out, the Vikings' general manager search appears to have "lined up to end with the removal of [Rob] Brzezinski's interim tag." He also notes that Agnew could have declined another interview with the franchise. Those specifics haven't been released.

Regardless of the reason, the Lions should be relieved they won't have to start searching for a new assistant general manager for the upcoming season. This team needs consistency, and that includes in the front office, at least for now.