The Detroit Lions are heading into the 2026 NFL season with the same core that has been carrying the load, and that means the spotlight is squarely on the players the front office chose to keep in Motown. Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown all spent the summer showing why Detroit invested so heavily in making sure they stay in place.
That sets up a season with some big numbers attached to it. Gibbs is positioned to be a major factor in the passing game, and that could push the 31-year-old toward a career year in 2026. Williams, meanwhile, was one of the standouts at training camp, regularly winning contested catches and making Detroit’s secondary work for every rep.
If the running game gets back on track, Goff should have the kind of setup that lets him attack defenses with play-action. In that scenario, he could put himself in position to become just the 10th quarterback ever to reach 5,000 passing yards.
Brad Holmes is clearly betting on that kind of offensive growth. “When Jared first got here, we knew that he still had upside to him and knowing his wiring and knowing how much it means to him and how important it is, I think that combination is just, it's been amazing that the growth is still going,” said general manager Brad Holmes.
“I feel like he gets better every year still at this point in his career. But just his comfort, we have some familiar weapons around him.
“That was one of the big things about adding (offensive coordinator) Drew Petzing is just making sure that they were going to vibe, and it's been a seamless transition,” Holmes added. “And I'm really, really excited about not only what Petzing is going to bring, but Jared with Petzing. I think it's going to be big for us.”
The other side of the ball comes with a lot more pressure. Detroit’s second-year defensive coordinator is under the microscope after a first season that didn’t go smoothly, especially against the run. The front office did improve the defensive line, and the linebackers turned in a productive training camp, but the problems haven’t disappeared.
The defense also took hits in the secondary, with Terrion Arnold gone and two of the team’s top safeties beginning the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list. With the league still tilted toward offense under the newly instated rules, inexperience could be a costly issue.
That leaves Detroit in a tough spot. The Lions can’t afford to learn on the fly, and if the defense can’t hold up and keep the team playing complimentary football, Campbell may have to make a change.
Williams could also be in line for a monster year on the scoring side. The current record belongs to Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss, who caught 23 receiving touchdowns for the New England Patriots in 2007. With Williams now more mature and more comfortable with Goff, he should see more targets, more plays designed with him as the primary option and plenty of red-zone chances if the offense meets expectations.
If the offensive line rebounds and the ground game helps Detroit control the clock, Williams’ path to those opportunities gets even clearer under Petzing.
In Other News...
Lions Still Have One Week 1 Roster Issue To Solve
With the regular season opener against the Saints drawing closer, the Lions are still sorting through the kind of Week 1 roster question that can shape an early game plan in subtle but important ways. The conversation around the back end of the roster has centered on whether a practice squad player like Tom Kennedy could get the call, a reminder that even in September, Detroit is still weighing depth, flexibility and how to best prepare for a New Orleans team that can stress a defense in a lot of different ways.
Chris Olave stands out as the kind of matchup that can force those decisions to matter, especially when the Lions are trying to line up the right mix of coverage and support around their secondary. The bigger picture is even more interesting because this is also the time of year when the teams long-view expectations start to come into focus, with bold projections already circling 2026 and Jahmyr Gibbs viewed as a central offensive piece. For now, though, Detroit still has one final roster call to make before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Face A Core Roster Decision With Long Term Consequences
With Mondays salary cap deadline looming, the Lions are staring at one of the more consequential front-office decisions of their offseason. Detroit has to trim its payroll from $325.6 million to at or below the league limit of $301.2 million, and the most obvious path is reshaping the contracts of cornerstone players who define the rosters future.
Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and Alim McNeill are all part of the discussion, which is exactly why this matters beyond simply getting under the number. A restructuring can open the necessary room now, but it also pushes financial obligations deeper into the future, so the Lions are weighing immediate flexibility against the long-term cost of tying more of their cap to the same core. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Still Have 3 Starting Battles That Could Test Early Stability
Detroits roster may look settled in a lot of places, but there are still a few jobs that can shape how stable the defense and line feel once the season gets rolling. The biggest one on offense is left guard, where Christian Mahogany is the expected starter but still has to hold off Ben Bartch and Miles Frazier. Across the roster, the Lions are also sorting out how they want to distribute snaps at nickelback and which corner will handle the outside spot opposite the rest of the secondary.
That makes this one of those early camp questions that can look minor on paper and matter a great deal once the games start. Keith Abney II and Roger McCreary are expected to split work at nickelback, while Rock Ya-Sin is the likely outside cornerback, but he is not running unchallenged with Khalil Dorsey and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. also in the mix. For a team trying to keep its depth chart clean and dependable, these are the kinds of battles that can either reinforce the plan or force a rethink before the Lions settle into the 2026 season. [Read more 🡒]