DETROIT — At the NFL’s annual league meeting in March, Lions coach Dan Campbell appeared relaxed and joking about his longer hair and goatee, a different look from recent years. He spoke calmly about the organization’s direction and expressed confidence in the staff and roster he and general manager Brad Holmes assembled, calling the work together a kind of rebirth, according to ESPN.
The Lions enter the 2026 campaign largely built around the same core that produced a 15-win season in 2024 and a 12-win season the year before. Detroit’s 2025 season was uneven, however; after losing both coordinators and eight coaches overall, the team finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
Changes this offseason included the hiring of former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to replace John Morton, who was fired in January after struggles to provide an offensive identity. Detroit also completed a two-year renovation of its offensive line by moving All-Pro Penei Sewell from right tackle to left, signing free agent tackle Cade Mays and selecting Blake Miller with the No. 17 pick.
The franchise has further committed to its young core by signing running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell to lucrative extensions. Those deals followed several other new contracts for homegrown players over the past three years and pushed the club’s total investment in extensions past $1 billion during that span.
Campbell told ESPN the team’s championship window is not closed and emphasized depth and sustainable units over leaning everything on a single player. DraftKings favored the Lions to win the NFC North and listed them with the fifth-best odds to win the conference, according to DraftKings.
Asked around the league about Detroit’s prospects, several top coaches — including the Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay and the Green Bay Packers’ Matt LaFleur — suggested the 2026 Lions should not be viewed simply as the 9-8 team from last season. League observers point to the coaching turnover as a key element in Detroit’s 2025 struggles.
