It turns out Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions were nearly a thing long before his 2021 hiring changed the course of the franchise.
Back in 2003, Holmes was just starting his NFL journey. He had two job offers on the table—one from the Lions, the other from the St. Louis Rams. At the time, Holmes had just wrapped up a media internship with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and was eager to jump into football. Detroit actually offered him a PR intern position first. But after doing a little digging, Holmes noticed something about the Rams that swayed his decision.
“They hired a lot of their interns,” Holmes said recently on the Field Talk podcast. “I looked at the Lions media guide and didn’t see that. So I figured if I went to Detroit, it’d probably be a one-and-done.”
So he made the tough call and picked the Rams. That decision kicked off an 18-year journey through the Rams organization, where Holmes rose from intern to scout to college scouting director. Meanwhile, the Lions burned through three general managers.
Fast forward to 2020. Lions executive Mike Disner found a video of Holmes’ GM interview from the NFL Combine and was impressed. That moment helped spark Holmes’ eventual hiring in Detroit.
Funny enough, Holmes even hinted at this whole story in his first Lions press conference. “Before my second interview,” he said, “I hadn’t been to Allen Park since I interviewed here to be a PR intern.”
Now, full circle, Holmes is not just in Detroit—he’s the architect of the most promising Lions era in decades. And the franchise has clearly taken a page from his Rams days, promoting talent from within across all departments.
In a way, the Lions finally landed Holmes. It just took 20 years.
