The Detroit Lions went from one of the underperformers to overachievers in the span of two years. They massively improved by making it to the NFC Championship Game in 2023. However, the Lions carry a terrible tag of not appearing at the Super Bowl, being one of the older franchises. They also arguably have one of the worst post-season records. It showed as they let go of a 17-point lead in the Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.
They improved massively in the league in 2024 to post their best-ever numbers. They moved the ball at will and dominated the opposition with a swagger. The Lions finished the regular season with a 15-2 record to win a second consecutive NFC North title. They even swept the division and were the only team to do so in 2024. However, it all counted for nothing as they stumbled in the playoffs.
Having received a bye in the Wild Card round, they entered the Divisional Round against the Washington Commanders. The Lions defence was severely crippled by that point as they conceded a lot of points lately. It hurt them terribly in the clash against the Commanders as they lost a lead and missed out on the next round. They bagged yet another unwanted record of not winning a playoff game after 15 regular-season wins.
Jared Goff had a career-best season at quarterback, as Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery ran the show to make them the best offence in the league. Aidan Hutchinson anchored the defence to perfection before succumbing to a season-ending injury that hurt the Lions. Having retained the core, can Dan Campbell guide his side to a first Super Bowl appearance and dare say the title?
2025 Offseason Recap
The Lions showed great faith in their current roster. Dan Campbell insisted on re-signing players who helped them set a few records. Myles Adams, Derrick Barnes, Kayode Awosika and Marcus Davenport were all onboard again. Big money signings like D.J. Reed, Avonte Maddox, Ronnie Bell and Roy Lopez were all signed to offset the minor losses and add depth.
Key squad players like John Cominsky and Frank Ragnow retired as the franchise had to deal with the losses of Carlton Davis, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Kindle Vildor and Jonah Williams. However, a near-complete overhaul of the coaching staff will test them. They lost eight assistant coaches, including both coordinators who landed head coach roles. The new staff coming in have to gel well with the squad.
Notable Signings & Retentions:
DJ Reed – CB
After losing Carlton Davis III to the New England Patriots, they acted quickly to sign a replacement in DJ Reed. Although he isn’t a clear-cut upgrade, he can more than do the job.
Derrick Barnes – LB
The Lions made sure that they locked down a key linebacker who played a key role in their defence last season.
Marcus Davenport – DE
Davenport suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3 last season, but the franchise trusted him enough to award a new contract. However, he has to prove his fitness to be a key asset.
Anthony Pittman – LB
Pittman will play a key role going ahead, given the Lions had a lengthy injury roster last season. He can provide a quality rotation option and even push for a starting role.
Roy Lopez – DT
With the starting DT Alim McNeil still recovering from an ACL injury, Lopez is a solid option to improve them in the defensive room.
Kyle Allen – QB
Allen brings in a wealth of experience at QB to make sure that Jarrod Goff can be rotated ably.
Avonte Maddox – CB
Maddox, a Detroit native, comes home after a Super Bowl title with Philadelphia. He would be hungry to win another title with his home town franchise and add experience at cornerback.
Kenny Yeboah – TE
Yeboah would purely be coming in as a depth option at the tight end unit. He specialised in blocking, but he carries the risk of having a lack of minutes under his belt.
Rock Ya-Sin – CB
The journeyman is joining a fifth team in seven seasons and is expected to be a utility player for the Lions.
Grant Stuard – LB
Stuard is a mr dependable with regard to availability, but it will be interesting to see how he fits into the fold.
Key Exits
Carlton Davis – CB
The cornerback signed a lucrative $60 million contract with the New England Patriots to move away from the Lions.
Ifeatu Melifonwu – S
Ended his 4-year stay with the Lions to sign for the Miami Dolphins.
Kindle Vildor – CB
Made it to the active roster but couldn’t make an impact and had to leave.
Jonah Williams – DE
The injury-prone defender was let go as the New Orleans Saints courted him.
Kevin Zietler – G
The Pro Bowl-level season veteran moved to the basement boys Titans without extending his stay.
Za’Darious Smith – DE
In a purely financial move, the 32-year-old was released.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin – LB
A neck injury in 2024 might have prompted the Lions to release him.
Antoine Green – WR
After missing out on the entire season due to a concussion, Green was let go in the offseason.
John Cominsky – DE
A variety of injuries, including the MCL, forced him to retire prematurely.
Frank Ragnow – C
The four-time Pro Bowler announced a shock retirement, citing injuries and family care reasons.
2025 Draft Recap
The Lions had a strong roster, and the draft provided them a perfect chance to add more depth and even pick up potential x-factors that could lead them to their first Super Bowl title.
Here’s a breakdown of the Lions’ draft:
Round 1, Pick 28 — Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
With Alim McNeil still recovering from an ACL, Williams is an exciting signing that could go a long way. With big game experience for Ohio State, Williams can hit the ground running at defensive tackle.
Round 2, Pick 57 — Tate Ratledge, OL, Georgia
An experienced starter for Georgia, Ratledge brings his experience to add depth for the departed Zeitler and the retired Frank Ragnow.
Round 3, Pick 70 — Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Arkansas
The explosive TeSlaa adds depth at wide receiver behind the All-Pro Amon-Ra St.Brown. He could become a useful player on gadget plays. His 19.5 yards per catch last season was the fifth-most in the SEC.
Round 5, Pick 171 — Miles Frazier, G, LSU
The General Manager, Brad Holmes, made it clear that they wanted more youth in the offensive line after snapping up Frazier. Frazier has only allowed three pressures in nearly 1,000 pass blocking plays in the last season.
Round 6, Pick 196 — Ahmed Hassanein, DE, Boise State
Aidan Hutchinson finally gets an edge rusher to have some company in that department. He also became the first Egyptian player to ever be drafted.
Round 7, Pick 230 — Dan Jackson, S, Georgia
Kerby Joseph’s extension meant only depth was needed at Safetu, and they secured one of the Bulldogs’ most reliable defenders to fill that spot.
Round 7, Pick 244 — Dominic Lovett, WR, Georgia
The Lions signed another Bulldog in back-to-back picks. Lovett led their stats with 59 receptions and six touchdowns to add great depth at receiver.
2025 Breakout Candidate: Tate Ratledge
When Frank Ragnow announced his retirement, the entire league felt the shockwaves. The Lions suddenly felt short in that department. Replacing a man of Ragnow’s quality wasn’t easy, but luckily, the Lions were sitting on one such player. Drafted in the second round at 57th position, Tate Ratledge wouldn’t have believed he was immediately going to be an option for his franchise. Zeitler’s departure also means Ratledge can eye a starting spot right from the start.
Ratledge fits the reliable and tough players Brad Holmes wants on his roster. Coming from Georgia, Ratledge earned most time at centre in practice. Ratledge also has the best platform to thrive as an offensive lineman, knowing they have one of the best tackles in the league on their roster. He has the run-blocking skills to fill Ragnow’s impact. He was also ranked as the second-best available interior offensive lineman at the draft by PFF.
The rookie can have a massive impact if he can live up to the expectations.
Detroit Lions 2025 Schedule Breakdown & Win-Loss Prediction
The schedule hasn’t been kind to the Lions. They play four of their first six games on the road. Having performed consistently over the past two seasons, teams know what's coming from the Lions and will prepare accordingly. They will be on primetime five times in 2015, in addition to the annual Thanksgiving Day game and a Christmas matchup. They boasted the best record of all teams at primetime last season and would love to continue that.
After starting the season with a 1-1 record last time, they strung 11 victories together, putting them in a comfortable position. They may not have the same luxury this time, as the new coaching staff would be under extreme pressure to deliver from day one. After a relatively easy opening fixture against the Green Bay Packers, a familiar face in Ben Johnson visits them in week 2.
After a topsy-turvy start, the Lions are expected to roar back into form and get the job done, going deep into the season.
Week 1: Sept. 7 at Green Bay Packers
Week 2: Sept. 14 vs. Chicago Bears
Week 3: Sept. 22 at Baltimore Ravens (MNF)
Week 4: Sept. 28 vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 5: Oct. 5 at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 6: Oct. 12 at Kansas City Chiefs (SNF)
Week 7: Oct. 20 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (MNF)
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Nov. 2 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 10: Nov. 9 at Washington Commanders
Week 11: Nov. 16 at Philadelphia Eagles (SNF)
Week 12: Nov. 23 vs. New York Giants
Week 13: Nov. 27 vs. Green Bay Packers (Thanksgiving)
Week 14: Dec. 4 vs. Dallas Cowboys (TNF)
Week 15: Dec.14 at Los Angeles Rams
Week 16: Dec. 21 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 17: Dec. 25 at Minnesota Vikings (Christmas)
Week 18: Jan. 3 or 4 at Chicago Bears
Final Record Projection: 13-4
The Lions will be hunted ferociously this time. They will struggle in the initial stages, but their roster has enough talent to recover from that blow and make it to the playoffs. Whether that would be enough to threepeat the division or not remains to be seen.
Final Take: Lions might finally make the Super Bowl game if they stay healthy
If we’re being brutally honest, a fully fit Lions would’ve caused a lot of mayhem in the postseason. A team with 15 wins in the regular season fell like a pack of cards when the injuries bit them hard. Well, first things first, would they be able to achieve 15 wins in the regular season yet again?
“I've said this before, we could be a better team than we were last year and have more losses. As long as we learn from what those are and we get better coming out of them, we'll be good.", Lions coach Dan Campbell said at the NFL annual meeting in April. The coach himself knows it's nearly impossible to repeat a 15-2 season. The priority would be making it to the playoffs and striving for that higher seed to enjoy a home advantage. We do believe they would make it to the playoffs with an inferior record. But if the Lions prove us wrong, it would not only be us but the entire world applauding them for that monumental effort.
Beyond that, you may ask whether this could be the year that breaks the Lions' duck at the Super Bowl. We saw how unpredictable the league is last season. So many variables need to fall into place for them to create history. Maintaining fitness is one key cog. They know the road ahead of them is tough, but can the Lions take the leap and enter the uncharted territory? We will find out soon.