The Detroit Lions were forced to acknowledge a contract extension for coach Jim Caldwell this offseason when reports leaked that a deal had been done for months. Since then, details have been tough to come by. Multiple team sources, both on and off record, would only commit to calling the extension a multi-year pact.
New information, shared by the NFL Network on Sunday morning, sheds additional light on Caldwell’s contract and significantly alters the coach’s perceived job security following the completion of the 2017 campaign. According to the report, the extension is only guaranteed for the 2018 season, with an option for 2019, indicating there’s less guaranteed money than originally perceived.
With just a one-season commitment beyond 2017, this contract language makes it far more tenable for the team to part ways with the coach after the season, if general manager Bob Quinn determines he’d like to go a different direction.
The Lions are currently 6-6, and even if they win their final four games, the team would likely miss the postseason. But a 10-6 record, following two playoff appearances the previous three seasons, could provide Caldwell and his staff a strong argument to stay on another year.
Caldwell has coached the Lions to a .550 winning percentage during his four years with the organization, the best of any full-time coach during the Super Bowl era. The team exited the postseason in the opening round both trips.