Detroit Lions

Despite being in playoffs, Lions announce that Jim Caldwell will be back in 2017

Published Jan. 4, 2017 2:10 p.m. ET

Andre Vergara

Jim Caldwell will return as head coach of the Detroit Lions next season, the team announced Wednesday in the lead-up to Saturday's wild-card playoff matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.

Despite leading the Lions to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons as coach, Caldwell apparently needed a vote of confidence after a season-ending three-game losing streak cost them the NFC North title.

The Green Bay Packers won 31-24 at Detroit last week to cap a season-ending six-game win streak and capture the NFC North for the fifth time in six seasons. That gave them home-field advantage in the wild-card round, while the sixth-seeded Lions (9-7) must travel to Seattle on Saturday.

Caldwell is 27-21 in Detroit and 53-43 overall entering the final year of his contract. He got a similar vote of confidence last year after Bob Quinn was hired as GM.