Luke Altmyer said the right thing after his best preseason outing yet: keep coaching me. After Saturday's preseason contest against the Washington Commanders in Week 2, the quarterback made clear he wants Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions staff pushing him every day as he tries to win the backup job behind Jared Goff.
That search is real because Altmyer and Josh Dobbs are the two quarterbacks competing for the role that would sit directly behind the starter when the 2026 regular season begins. Altmyer helped his case on Saturday by going 9 of 13 for 86 yards, leading the Lions in passing while avoiding any giveaways. He also said the work is about the process, not the headline number, pointing to mechanics, operation, footwork, his drop, seeing the field and playing together as a unit.
The performance mattered because it was a cleaner day than Week 1, when Altmyer went 13-for-22 for 130 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. On Saturday, he did not throw an interception and finished with more yards per pass than he had in the first exhibition game, a simple sign that the decision-making was tighter even if the offense never really broke open. Altmyer said he is “so young in this league” and wants to be coached, and that he wants to hear that the goal is to get better every single day.
Campbell liked enough to praise both quarterbacks, but he did not pretend Altmyer’s night was complete. He said he still thinks Altmyer sees the field really well, yet added that there are “a couple of things” on him and that the biggest question is whether he can play “a little bit faster.” That is the edge in this competition: Altmyer avoided the giveaway that can bury a backup bid, but the coaches still want quicker operation and cleaner pacing from snap to snap.
Dobbs also kept himself in the race with a 50-yard touchdown run and a 7-for-12 line for 74 yards and an interception, which is why this job remains unresolved. For Altmyer, the next step is not a bigger speech or a better quote. It is another practice, another chance to tighten the mechanics he talked about and prove that the clean game against the Washington Commanders was the start of a climb, not a one-night answer.
