The Detroit Lions have added former NFL quarterback Bruce Gradkowski to their coaching staff for the 2025 season.

Gradkowski spent 11 years in the NFL, playing for multiple teams after being selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2006 draft. Over the course of his career, he started 20 games and completed 375 of 709 passes for 4,057 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions.

For the past two years, Gradkowski has been the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Battlehawks in both the XFL and UFL. In 2023, the Battlehawks ranked second in the XFL for scoring, averaging 24.9 points per game. After moving to the UFL in 2024, they stayed in second place for offensive scoring, with an average of 26.0 points per game, just behind the eventual champion Birmingham Stallions (26.5 PPG).

It’s not clear yet what specific role Gradkowski will have with the Lions, whether it will be as a general offensive assistant or in a more specific positional capacity. Notably, the Lions’ assistant quarterbacks coach position is vacant after J.T. Barrett left to become the Chicago Bears’ quarterbacks coach, following the departure of former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

Although there doesn’t appear to be a direct connection between Gradkowski and the Lions’ current coaching staff, he did spend time with the St. Louis Rams during the 2008 training camp when Lions general manager Brad Holmes was a scout for the Rams.