The Detroit Lions are coming off a 2025 season they’d rather forget, but there’s still plenty of reason to think the bounce-back is coming. After finishing last in the NFC North, a steep fall for a team that entered the year with Super Bowl expectations, Detroit now has a much friendlier path in front of it.
That easier road is a big part of why Connor Orr of SI included the Lions among his 14 teams that could contend for a Super Bowl in 2026. Orr pointed to the “generous schedule” and Detroit’s offensive production from last season as major reasons for optimism. He also liked the hire of Drew Petzing, who stepped in as the team’s offensive coordinator after John Morton was one-and-done in the job.
The Lions still have the kind of firepower that keeps them in the conversation. Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Amon-Ra St. Brown give Detroit a dangerous offensive core, and that’s a big reason the team remains on the radar despite last year’s collapse.
What stands out even more is that three NFC North teams made Orr’s list. Given how tight and competitive the division has been, that part makes sense. The one team left out was the Minnesota Vikings.
And for Lions fans, that omission is easy to enjoy.
Minnesota’s roster has been solid enough in recent years, but the quarterback spot has kept dragging them down. The decision to draft J.J. McCarthy in the first round two years ago hasn’t worked out, and the Vikings are now leaning on Kyler Murray to stabilize the most important position in football.
From Detroit’s perspective, that’s a situation worth watching with a smile. The Vikings have tried plenty at quarterback without finding the right answer, and the optics only got stranger after Sam Darnold immediately went on to win a Super Bowl one year after leaving Minneapolis. Now Minnesota is all-in on Murray, hoping this time the gamble pays off.
Lions fans would surely prefer the opposite. If the Vikings keep stumbling at quarterback, Detroit could be looking at two easier wins in the division and another shot at the NFC North crown.
In Other News...
Kerby Joseph Just Put Lions Fans On Edge Before Camp
With rookies set to report to training camp Saturday and veterans due in Monday, the Lions are about to get their first real look at where everyone stands physically. Players have to pass a physical before taking part, and anyone not quite there can be placed on the PUP or NFI list, which makes every early camp update feel a little more meaningful than usual.
Kerby Joseph is one of the names drawing the most attention after a knee injury cost him most of last season and left the Lions handling his return carefully. He sounded upbeat about his status entering camp, but Dan Campbell made it clear the real test comes once the work ramps up and the knee is pushed in the middle of practice, which is why this one is still worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Rookies Are Arriving With One Huge Question Hanging Over Them
The Lions 2026 rookie class is about to take another step, with the group scheduled to report to the Allen Park Performance Center on July 25. For Detroit, the early focus is on a couple of newcomers who could matter quickly, especially offensive tackle Blake Miller and defensive end Derrick Moore, both of whom are expected to be in the mix sooner rather than later as the team keeps building out its roster for the season ahead.
Miller has already spent offseason work sharpening technique and getting more comfortable with the playbook, which is the kind of foundation the Lions want from a young lineman before the games start counting. Moores path looks a little more crowded on the edge, where veteran D.J. Wonnum is expected to open the season in front of him and Detroit has added more bodies at the position, leaving the rookie to fight for snaps in passing situations while the rest of the depth chart sorts itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Are The Lions Really The NFLs Most Talented Roster
The Lions head toward the 2026 season with a roster that still looks loaded at the top, even after some familiar veterans moved on and opened up bigger jobs for younger players. A league-wide ESPN poll only added to that impression, placing Detroit first overall and putting nine Lions players inside the top 10 at their positions, a reminder that this teams ceiling is being driven by premium talent rather than depth alone.
Penei Sewell and Jahmyr Gibbs both stood out in those rankings, but the broader takeaway is even more striking for Detroit: a lot of the names carrying the roster are still very young. That makes the Lions easy to believe in for now, but it also leaves the real question hanging over the group as the season approaches, because talent at the top is one thing and proving that a younger core can absorb the loss of players like Alex Anzalone and Taylor Decker is another. [Read more 🡒]