Lions owner Martha Ford is making major changes on her franchise.
The Lions have fired General Manager Martin Mayhew and President Tom Lewand, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
That news comes as the Lions are mired in a 1-7 season, just a year after making the playoffs. Last week head coach Jim Caldwell fired three of his assistants, and now Caldwell’s bosses have been fired as well.
How secure Caldwell’s job is remains unclear at this time.
With the Lions likely headed for a high first-round draft pick, perhaps the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, it’s clear that Ford doesn’t believe Mayhew and Lewand can be trusted to spend that pick properly. So now the Lions will look for someone else to run the franchise.
No matter what happens over the final eight games of the regular season, the Lions will have major changes coming this offseason. Don’t be surprised if big-name, big-contract players like Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson end up elsewhere, as the Lions begin a rebuilding effort.