Dan Campbell isn’t backing off the Super Bowl talk around the Lions, and he made that much clear in March at the NFL’s annual league meeting.
Detroit’s 2025 season ended in disappointment, with the Lions missing the playoffs entirely, and that has only fueled the chatter that their title chance might have already slipped away. There’s been roster turnover and coaching turnover since the team climbed into elite territory, plus the usual concerns that come with any contender - especially on defense and with health. But Campbell is not interested in treating this like a closing chapter.
“Our window is not closed,” Campbell stated (h/t Eric Woodyard of ESPN). “It’s not closed.
That was the whole reason why we did this. We fell short last year.”
That kind of conviction has matched the way Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes have handled the offseason. The two were said to have been humbled by last year’s letdown, and Campbell later described their work together as a “rebirth” of sorts. The response has been as direct as it gets: Detroit kept its core together and paid up to keep key pieces in place.
The Lions made All-Pro Jack Campbell one of the highest-paid inside linebackers in the sport, and they also signed superstar running back Jahmyr Gibbs to a market-setting contract extension. Those moves sent a pretty loud message. This isn’t a front office acting like the best window is behind them.
And there’s a reason Campbell can still sound this confident. The Lions have a roster loaded with high-end talent, with plenty of those players either entering their prime or already in it. From top to bottom, Detroit still has the kind of pieces that can match up with anybody, including at some of the most important spots in football.
There’s also a path baked into the schedule. Detroit will get the benefit of a softer road in 2026, with the sixth-easiest schedule based on opponents’ combined winning percentage from last season, which came in at 46.7.
So while plenty of people may be ready to declare the window shut, Campbell isn’t moving on from the idea that the Lions still have work left to do. With a strong core, fresh motivation and a favorable schedule ahead, Detroit is still acting like a team that expects to get back in the hunt.
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