Detroit Lions president and CEO Rod Wood is retiring before the 2026 season, the team announced Wednesday.
“I want to thank the Ford family and ultimately Lions fans everywhere for trusting me to lead the Detroit Lions for the past 11 seasons,” Wood said in a statement. “It has been an absolute thrill for me to lead this organization and I am proud of what we have accomplished in this decade. I am most proud of where I am leaving this organization, in the capable hands of Sheila Hamp, Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell.”
Arriving midway through the 2015 season, Michigan native Wood helped usher in a new era of continued success in Detroit.
Wood is largely responsible for the 2021 hirings of general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell, a pairing that transformed a long-downtrodden franchise into one of the NFL’s most exciting teams and top contenders in recent seasons.
Detroit’s rise began in the latter weeks of the 2022 season and carried over into the 2023 campaign where the Lions won the NFC North for the first time. It led to Ford Field hosting its first playoff game in the stadium’s history, a victory that earned the club its first appearance in the NFC Championship game since 1991.
The Lions continued to set records in their follow-up to 2023, setting single-season franchise records for wins (15) and points scored (564) to earn back-to-back league titles and the conference’s No. 1 seed for the first time in Detroit history, though that dominant campaign ended in a disappointing relegation playoff.
Wood will remain with the team until his replacement is hired — an effort that will begin immediately, the Lions announced.
“The entire Ford family would like to thank Rod for his dedication and commitment to the Detroit Lions and the city of Detroit,” Lions owner and chairman Sheila Hamp said in a statement. “Rod has been a trusted advisor and passionate leader to our organization and the entire NFL during that time, setting our organization up for a promising future. While Rod will be missed, we are excited to work with Russell Reynolds Associates to find the next dynamic leader for our firm.”
When Wood retires, the Lions are still in good hands thanks to the general manager who extended Holmes and Campbell’s contracts through 2024.