The Detroit Lions used to be a lot like the Cleveland Browns. From 2000–2020, the only team with a worse winning percentage than the Lions (.356) was the Cleveland Browns (.329). They also share the indignity of being the only two teams to go 0–16 for an entire season in NFL history. While the Browns remain firmly entrenched in misery, the Lions have found their way out of the bottom.
So much so that the Lions' 9–8 record this year has been seen as a major disappointment for their fans, management, and pundits alike. Their down year is 9–8. That is evidence of a changed culture and an established standard. As Mike Tomlin said, "The standard is the standard." In other words, you know it when you see it.
The impetus for change in Detroit was the hiring of a head coach who demanded absolute commitment, unequivocally, from each player on the roster. It didn't start right away because fixing a flawed foundation takes time. The Browns need to find their own Dan Campbell — a CEO head coach who does more than draw up Xs and Os on offense or defense.
A culture-builder is someone who inspires a group of 50-plus grown men to run through a brick wall for them for 17 weeks straight. Someone whose commitment to the team is felt so strongly that players feel they let their coach down any time they fall short of expectations. That fits Dan Campbell to a T.
Unfortunately, the Lions won't be letting him get out the door any time soon. The Browns, however, can learn something from their bold decision. There's no need to be pigeonholed into hiring an offensive or defensive coordinator, or even someone who has called plays before.
The latest scuttlebutt surrounding an outside-the-box head coach candidate should pique Cleveland's interest.
Philip Rivers might be the Browns’ best shot at a culture-changing coach
While this year's coaching carousel features a few intriguing names, the general consensus has been that there's no bona fide head-coach-in-waiting sitting as an assistant waiting for his shot, à la Ben Johnson and Liam Coen last year. You can see this concept in action with Kevin Stefanski lining up three job interviews (Falcons, Giants, Titans) before going to bed on the same day he was fired. NFL teams are desperate for qualified candidates.
Sources: Former Browns HC Kevin Stefanski currently is expected to speak with the Falcons, Giants and Titans about their HC vacancies. pic.twitter.com/prpXsuC5t5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2026
Enter Philip Rivers. Rivers had been relatively quiet in the five years since his retirement from the NFL. That was until he became one of the biggest stories of the final month of the 2026 season, coming out of a five-year retirement to try to save the Indianapolis Colts' season after quarterback Daniel Jones tore his Achilles. It wound up being for naught as far as the Colts' playoff chances went, but this blip on the radar led to yet another unexpected turn.
Sunday morning, Rivers got to take in his final game from the sideline as the Colts rolled with their rookie, Riley Leonard, with the playoffs out of reach. It was early Sunday morning, however, that NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported NFL teams are doing their homework on the eight-time Pro Bowler — as a head coach candidate. It was the kind of bombshell that made you rub your eyes to make sure you were reading it right.
Like Campbell, Rivers is a former player who is not too far removed from the game. He is charismatic, a natural-born leader as evidenced by his play on the field, and clearly able to rally a group of today's players.
No, he's never coached at the professional level. His coaching experience is limited to the high school coaching gig he's held since hanging up the cleats. It's safe to say that Philip Rivers — the league's eighth all-time leading passer — knows a thing or two about NFL offenses regardless.
When confronted with those questions on Monday, Rivers had this to say about his NFL coaching prospects:
"There's nothing concrete with that. I think, if anything, this past month has taught me you’re open to obviously anything, I guess, and you go from there ... I do think, as humbly as I can say it, that I can coach at this level ... I know enough about the game, about the guys from a leadership standpoint — camaraderie, all that comes with it. But, again, that’s not something that I’m sitting here pursuing."
That hardly sounds like a man who's closed the door on the possibility. Besides, when the Colts showed interest, Rivers was more than willing. A good bet is that if the Browns showed it, they'd get a similar response. It just takes a phone call to gauge whether there's a fit between ownership and coach, and get things started on the right foot.
It's important to note that the Lions took a risk when they hired Dan Campbell. They endured an embarrassing 3–13–1 season in Year 1. Everyone thought "biting kneecaps" might just be a funny anecdote from another failed coach. Campbell proved the whole world wrong — and the Lions right — for believing in him.
The Browns may wind up beneficiaries just the same if they simply take that chance.