The Detroit Lions head into the 2026 offseason with one clear objective: find consistency. That’s the common thread tying together the NFL’s most successful teams this season - namely, the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks - and it’s the one thing Detroit lacked down the stretch in 2025.
When you look at how the Patriots and Seahawks punched their tickets to the Super Bowl, it wasn’t about flashy midseason runs or miracle comebacks. It was about sustained excellence.
Week in and week out, those teams showed up with a clear identity, executed their game plans, and avoided the rollercoaster that derails so many talented rosters. That’s where the Lions fell short.
Detroit had moments - real, promising moments - where they looked like a complete team. Their performance against the Commanders was arguably their most balanced outing of the year.
Offense clicking. Defense flying around.
It was the kind of game that makes you believe this team can hang with anyone in the league. But then came the letdown - a flat, nine-point showing against the Eagles that left fans and analysts alike scratching their heads.
That kind of up-and-down play is a recipe for early exits, not deep playoff runs.
And it wasn’t just the scoreboard that told the story. Injuries piled up, and the depth just wasn’t there to keep things steady.
The offensive line, once a strength, became a liability after Frank Ragnow’s retirement. The plan to slide Graham Glasgow over to center proved to be more of a band-aid than a solution.
The pass rush lacked bite, and the offense lost rhythm without a reliable foundation up front.
But here’s the thing - unlike Seattle and New England, Detroit doesn’t need to tear it all down to get back on track. The Patriots had to endure the Mac Jones era before landing Drake Maye. The Seahawks made a bold move by trading away Geno Smith and rolling the dice on Sam Darnold - a decision that wasn’t exactly met with applause at the time.
The Lions, meanwhile, are in a much better spot. They’ve already locked in key pieces for the long haul and have a young core that’s primed to grow together. Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell are next in line for extensions, and once those deals are done, Detroit will have one of the most stable rosters in the NFC.
That leaves a few critical tasks for GM Brad Holmes this offseason: shore up the offensive line and add another edge rusher. That’s it.
Those are the missing pieces. And if Holmes can deliver on those fronts, this team isn’t just a playoff contender - they’re a legitimate threat to take the NFC North and make noise in January.
But if those needs go unaddressed? If the Lions enter next season with the same question marks in the trenches and the same lack of depth? Then we could be looking at another year of inconsistency - another season where the highs are thrilling, but the lows are just too costly.
The blueprint is there. The talent is in place.
What remains is execution - not just on Sundays, but in the front office over the next few months. Because for the Lions to take the next step, they don’t need to reinvent themselves.
They just need to become the one thing they weren’t in 2025: dependable.