The Super Bowl window for the Detroit Lions opened early in 2023 and it’s not shutting for a while.
I never thought I would say this, but the Detroit Lions are Super Bowl contenders. This franchise has seen Hall of Fame players never receive a Super Bowl ring, and it’s time for that to change. The Lions had a franchise-best season, going 15-2 and clinching the top seed in the NFC for the first time ever.
The best news about this season is it’s just the beginning. Despite being a half away from a Super Bowl appearance in 2023, this year is different and truly the beginning of being a Super Bowl contender. Last year was a big step in the right direction, but the roster from that season to this season is better, even with all of the injuries the team has suffered in 2024.
Speaking of injuries, despite the laundry list of ailments, the Lions are the favorite to win the Super Bowl. This team is the top dog in the NFL, and it’s not a one-year wonder. The Lions will be a Super Bowl contender for a long time. Let me tell you why.
Franchise-changing players have arrived
After moving on from their previous franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Lions traded for quarterback Jared Goff. That has turned into one of the best moves this front office has made. No disrespect to Stafford, but Goff has played lights out at the position when the team has needed it. Many believed Goff was a “bridge“ quarterback and the franchise would draft his replacement, but instead, Goff signed an extension with the team and is the long-term option for them.
It’s not just Goff, though. There are great players all over on this roster. They have All-Pro receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, third-year wide receiver Jameson Williams, and second-year tight end Sam LaPorta. They have the best running back duo in the NFL in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. The offensive line is the best it has ever been with a generational tackle in Penei Sewell, center Frank Ragnow, guards Kevin Zeitler and Graham Glasgow, and tackle Taylor Decker.
The defense has great players all over with defensive end Aidan Hutchinson leading the charge, defensive tackles Alim McNeill and DJ Reader helping him out. Linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell form one of the most underrated and best linebacker duos. Meanwhile, the secondary has interception leader Kerby Joseph, Pro Bowler Brian Branch, first-round rookie Terrion Arnold, and the underappreciated Amik Robertson. Even special teams is elite with kicker Jake Bates and punter Jack Fox.
The franchise has needed talent all over and Detroit finally has it. They have their staples in almost every position, which is something this franchise has never had.
That’s the present. Now let’s look at the future.
Roster retention
The toughest part about having a good team is trying to keep the key players around for a long time. This team didn’t just sign Goff to an extension in 2024, they re-signed multiple players to long-term deals. Sewell , St. Brown , and McNeill all signed extensions in 2024, locking them up for the next four years, minimum.
The Lions are now starting to have to pay their drafted players for extensions and the salary cap they’ve been able to take advantage of will be harder to limit and control. Linebacker Derrick Barnes, safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, and defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike are a few players from that 2021 draft class who are due for an extension this offseason, and it’ll be tough for Detroit to keep them all.
While he will be under contract until 2025, with a fifth-year option that the Lions will almost certainly pick up, Hutchinson will be another player the team will need to discuss an extension with this offseason. Hutchinson, Branch, LaPorta, Gibbs, Williams, and Campbell are all on their rookie contracts, so their level of play is at a heavy discount right now, which gives the franchise years to have them play and fight for the title.
Front office continues to draft and sign the right players
General manager Brad Holmes has been one of the many game changers that this franchise has needed. Holmes has been lights out in not just drafting the right players, but signing free agents and making excellent trades. It started with the Stafford for Goff trade, where the Lions got extra draft picks with Goff. Boy did Holmes use those draft picks well. Here are the last four draft classes by Holmes
2021
- 1st round – RT Penei Sewell
- 2nd round – DL Levi Onwuzurike
- 3rd round – DT Alim McNeill
- 3rd round – S Ifeatu Melifonwu
- 4th round – WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
- 4th round – LB Derrick Barnes
- 7th round – RB Jermar Jefferson
2022
- 1st round – DE Aidan Hutchinson
- 1st round – WR Jameson Williams
- 2nd round – DE Josh Paschal
- 3rd round – S Kerby Joseph
- 5th round – TE James Mitchell
- 6th round – LB Malcolm Rodriguez
- 6th round – DE James Houston
- 7th round – CB Chase Lucas
2023
- 1st round – RB Jahmyr Gibbs
- 1st round – LB Jack Campbell
- 2nd round – TE Sam LaPorta
- 2nd round – S Brian Branch
- 3rd round – QB Hendon Hooker
- 3rd round – DT Brodric Martin
- 5th round – OL Colby Sorsdal
- 7th round – WR Antoine Green
2024
- 1st round – CB Terrion Arnold
- 2nd round – CB Ennis Rakestraw
- 4th round – OT Giovanni Manu
- 4th round – RB Sione Vaki
- 6th round – DT Mekhi Wingo
- 6th round – G Christian Mahogany
27 of these 29 draft picks are still on the Lions roster, with only two players from the 2022 class not around (James Houston, Chase Lucas). Now, not all 27 players are contributors, as some are on the bench or were on the practice squad for a majority of the season, but 22 of those draft picks are steady contributors right now. That’s unbelievable.
Holmes isn’t just drafting great though, he has brought some helpful players to this team via trades and free agency.
- QB Jared Goff
- RB Jamaal Williams
- RB David Montgomery
- WR Kalif Raymond
- WR Tim Patrick
- WR Josh Reynolds
- G Kevin Zeitler
- G Graham Glasgow
- DE John Cominsky
- DT DJ Reader
- LB Jalen-Reeves Maybin
- LB Alex Anzalone
- CB Carlton Davis III
- CB Amik Robertson
- K Jake Bates
These players have been great additions to the team these past four years and pushed them further into being a Super Bowl contender. You can’t just rely on your rookies and young players, you need veteran help whether that is as a starter or depth. So if the Lions can’t re-sign some of their draft picks, they can either find a replacement in the draft or sign a free agent who can do what they want. When you have a GM with an eye for talent, your franchise will be on the right path to success.
Coaching is built to last
Lions head coach Dan Campbell has been the final key part in the success the franchise has recently had. The team has a very talented roster, but who leads those players? The coaching staff, led by Campbell.
Campbell isn’t afraid to change his staff if things aren’t going well, as we saw when he fired former offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn in the middle of the 2021 season. He is as truthful and honest as they come, and the players love and respect that. The best part about Campbell is that he’s hired others who have a similar mindset and believe in the same agenda. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn have led their respective sides of the football well, and now both are moving up the boards for head coaching jobs.
Campbell trusts his players to do their job and isn’t afraid to take risks. He seems to have started the fourth down conversion phenomenon that the NFL has started to adjust to. More teams are going for it on fourth down, and Campbell is the one of the leading voices. And his positive impact via aggression isn’t limited to fourth down attempts. Campbell boldly calls fake punts and trick plays at a staggering rate.
Can Campbell continue his success if Johnson and/or Glenn leave for a head coaching job? I believe so without a doubt. Campbell has talked about building succession plans before, and he’s now had a few years to prepare for his coordinators’ departure. Just look at their past. Duce Staley and Todd Wash were considered some of their best position coaches. When they left, Campbell filled their spots with two of the most-respected coaches at their respective positions: Scottie Montgomery and Terrell Williams. If Glenn and Johnson leave, they will be ready for it and make the necessary adjustments to keep the flow going.
Overall, the Lions aren’t just a flash-in-the-pan team, they are built for the long term. They have multiple players playing at an All-Pro and Pro Bowl level—clearly the best talent they have ever had. Those core pieces are locked up for the long-term to go with multiple great draft picks who are still on their rookie contracts. They have a front office with an eye for talent, whether it’s through the draft or free agency. Finally, they have a coaching staff that attracts players with the culture they built, can develop those players into stars, and has an eye for a coaching succession plan.
The Lions are here to stay. It’s time to get used to them being a dominant force in the NFL. Yea, you read that right. No more are these Lions cowardly. They are knocking on your door, ready for a fight and this is just the beginning.
It doesn’t matter that people know that the Lions are good now. The shock factor of losing to this team is gone, they have shown the other 31 teams that they are legit and here to stay. The question is, can the other teams keep up?