ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown says the sting of missing the playoffs last season has become the team’s biggest motivator heading into training camp.
The Lions open training camp on Tuesday, July 28, when veterans are scheduled to report, giving players one final break before preparations begin for the 2026 NFL regular season.
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St. Brown recently got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, and, amid all the excitement, he said the team is eager to get back on the field.
“We’re excited,” St. Brown said during an interview with NFL Network’s The Insiders. “I feel like a lot of us are motivated off what happened last year.”
New coordinator, familiar identity
Detroit enters camp with Drew Petzing taking over as offensive coordinator following offseason coaching staff changes.
St. Brown said the team has already begun adapting to Petzing’s approach during organized team activities.
“It’s still early,” St. Brown said. “Drew has great command of our offense right now. He brought some of his flavor from Arizona and where he’s been to our offense. I think once we get to training camp, we’ll integrate more run game, more play-action pass, and I think it’s going to be great.”
After finishing the 2025 season with a victory over the Chicago Bears but falling short of the playoffs, St. Brown said the Lions spent the offseason focused on returning to the identity that helped transform the franchise into a contender.
“The motto for us is getting back to what we do,” St. Brown said. “Nothing fancy, hard work, grit. It starts on the practice field, in the meeting rooms, and then translating that onto Sundays.”
Veteran leadership sets the tone
St. Brown, one of the team’s veteran leaders, said players including quarterback Jared Goff, offensive tackle Penei Sewell, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receiver Jameson Williams, linebacker Jack Campbell and tight end Sam LaPorta have helped establish the culture younger players are expected to follow.
“We don’t need to change anything,” St. Brown said. “We just have to raise our standards. Last year wasn’t good enough.”
Body, balance, life off the field
St. Brown is also taking a different approach, physically entering his sixth NFL season.
Known for his durability, the two-time First Team All-Pro said he is learning to balance intense offseason workouts with recovery.
“As you get older and take more hits in this league, your body is everything,” St. Brown said. “It’s understanding when to go hard and maybe doing a little less in the offseason so that when I get to training camp, I’m ready to go for the season.”
Off the field, St. Brown recently became engaged.
He joked that planning the proposal required even more preparation than designing one of his signature touchdown celebrations.
“A lot went into it,” St. Brown said. “I planned out the whole day, and I think the execution went just as planned.”
Gibbs, camp focus round out offseason picture
St. Brown also expressed confidence that Gibbs will remain focused despite ongoing contract discussions.
“Jahmyr is not worried about that stuff,” St. Brown said. “He just loves football. He was there for all of OTAs, and he’s worried about how he can be best for the team.”
The Lions open the regular season Sept. 14 against the New Orleans Saints, but St. Brown said the team’s immediate focus is training camp.
“The only thing you’re worried about is making plays that day in practice,” St. Brown said. "Dan Campbell does a great job of keeping everyone dialed in on the task at hand. By the time the season gets here, we’ve competed so hard against each other that we’re ready to put our talent on display."