Duce Staley joining Lions as assistant head coach

Philadelphia Eagles assistant head coach and running backs coach Duce Staley has left the team to join the Detroit Lions at the same position, as first reported by NFL Insider Jason La Canfora.

Staley will join a revamped Lions coaching staff that recently brought on Dan Campbell as head coach and former Los Angeles Chargers head coach, Anthony Lynn, as the offensive coordinator.

Campbell was a premier run-blocking tight end during his playing days while Lynn and Staley carved out careers as running backs. Needless to say, Detroit’s offense will likely exhibit a heavy dose of the ground game.

They seem to have the right running back to build their new system upon. As a rookie in 2020, D’Andre Swift ran for nearly 900 yards to go with 10 touchdowns. The Lions will look to Staley to bring the most out of Swift as he was in the process of doing with Eagles second-year back, Miles Sanders.

While he hasn’t received the consistent reps he necessarily deserves, Sanders has averaged 4.9 yards per carry over his first two professional seasons.

It’s an unceremonious ending to Staley’s time in Philadelphia, as the news of his departure to Detroit came as new Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni took his tour of team facilities on Monday.

Staley lost out to Sirianni for the Eagles’ head-coaching gig, which was the second time since 2016 the organization passed over the 45-year-old. This after he came highly recommended from fellow coaches and veteran players. He subsequently asked the Eagles to release him from his contract.

He was the longest-tenured member of the Eagles’ coaching staff, starting as an intern in 2010 before a promotion to special teams quality control coach in 2011. In franchise history, Staley is the only Eagle to spend seven seasons as a player and a coach.