The Detroit Lions are adding former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Bruce Gradkowski to their staff as an offensive assistant coach, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN . Gradkowski, who played 11 years in the NFL with five different teams, spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator and play caller of the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL. He informed the Lions on Wednesday night of his decision to take his first NFL coaching opportunity.
Gradkowski will serve under new Lions offensive coordinator John Morton. The Lions hired Morton from the Denver Broncos to be its new offensive coordinator. Former Stanford coach David Shaw, who was with Morton in Denver, will be the Lions' passing game coordinator.
The Lions had one of the best offenses in the league last year under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who is now the head coach of the Chicago Bears . There's a slew of talent on Detroit's offense with running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery and pass catchers Amon-Ra St.Brown , Jameson Williams and Sam Laporta .
Prior to his time with the Battlehawks, Gradkowski was an offensive analyst with Toledo after jumping up from the high school level as a volunteer assistant quarterbacks coach at Anthony Wayne High School (2017-2018) and head coach at St. Francis de Sales High School (2021). Now, he'll get his first chance in the NFL ranks.
Gradkowski, 38, was a three-year starter at the University of Toledo, where he threw for 9,225 yards and 85 touchdowns. His 68.2% completion percentage is the best all time in MAC history. Gradkowski led the Rockets to a MAC championship in 2004 and was inducted into the Toledo Hall of Fame in 2012.
Gradkowski was drafted to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006 and later played with the Cleveland Browns , Oakland Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals before joining the Steelers in 2013. His only passing attempts with the Steelers came in the 2014-15 playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens , filling in for an injured Ben Roethlisberger . Gradkowski ended his NFL career with 4,057 yards and 21 touchdowns in 37 games.
Gradkowski is a Pittsburgh native who graduated from Seton-La Salle. Over his decade-long NFL career, he traveled around the league as one of the better backups for teams to turn to throughout his entire career.
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