Most teams just hop on a flight to Europe. Not Dan Campbell. The Lions head coach, who’s already made three London trips, seems to have something different in mind as Detroit gears up for a game in Munich this season.

What’s on his mind? Leave right after the previous game, arrive just before kickoff, and not by air, but via cruise.

“I’ve been trying to pitch the idea, let’s just buy out a cruise ship. Right after that last game, jump on the cruise ship, and we’ll just adapt as we go over, man,” Campbell joked.

What followed was an interesting training plan.

“We go up, we walk through (practice) on the deck, we’ve got the hot tubs, pools, recovery rooms, we can game plan on the way,” Campbell further added.

Well, of course, this might be a joke, but we can’t rule out the possibility, considering that Campbell is quite humorous and also very straightforward.

Back in 2023, during an interview on Pardon My Take, he pitched the idea of having a live lion on the sideline during games. He sounded serious, but he was just joking.

“I don’t feel like anybody is taking it, though,” he said. “I had a coach inform me, ‘It’s so many nautical miles, it’s going to take eight days to get there.’ I’m like, ‘Just keep your mouth shut.”

Given that, what’s the update on their Germany trip?

Dan Campbell’s Lions Might Have a Problem in Germany

While the Lions' Munich plans are confirmed, their opponent remains a mystery.

The schedule is set to drop in mid-May. However, they do have a rough timeline for their Germany clash. Historically, Germany has hosted five NFL games since 2022, all of which were played between November 5 and November 13.

This schedule is a bit problematic for Detroit, as they host the Thanksgiving classic annually and have played on back-to-back Thursdays to close the month in consecutive years.

“And then the thing about flying back, playing a game, playing Thanksgiving, and playing the Thursday afterward, it’s really tough on the players and travel," says Team President Rod Wood.

Team President Rod Wood noted that the team's high television ratings create a scheduling conflict.

“So, that’s the one thing I’ve requested, and hopefully I’ve made my case. The downside is we played that game two years in a row, and it’s been the No.1 and No. 2-rated game on Amazon, so I’ve got that fact working against me,” he further added.

For all the jokes and bold ideas from Dan Campbell, the Detroit Lions are staring at a very real logistical test in Germany. Because cruise ships aside, this schedule could push even Campbell’s high-energy squad to its limits.

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote