The Detroit Lions‘ 2025 season was cruel as it was confusing. They maintained a winning record yet missed the playoffs and even finished at the bottom of the NFC North, which was highly competitive after the Packers, the Vikings, and the Lions finished with 9 wins each.
Despite falling short on the bigger goals, the winning record should keep their confidence high, as the quarterback Jared Goff says the team is hungry to bounce back next season while addressing the setback of last season in a recent interview with the NFL Network.
“I think it made us really hungry; it really did,’ Goff said while talking about the failure to reach the playoffs. “Even though we had a winning record and we were 9-8, it was not good enough. We came in 4th place in our division. We came up short in a lot of ways. Finding a way to win our division first and again get back to the top of our division we had one or two years prior. Then see what happens when we get to the playoffs, but we are hungry; we really are.”
Lions had a record-breaking 15-2 season in 2024 when they were the divisional champion. But a year later, they lost the plot. However, this offseason they made major moves that could get them back on track.
Lions’ Biggest Offseason Upgrades After Missing the Playoffs in 2025
Revamping the Lions’ offensive line was the biggest offseason improvement in 2026. After the long-term starter Taylor Decker left the franchise in March, Brad Holmes brought in an elite offensive tackle to replace him. Lions picked Clemson Tigers alumnus Blake Miller in the first round of the NFL Draft, who will join hands with Penei Sewell to protect Jared Goff next season, with the rookie set to play as the right tackle.
Last year, constant injuries were one of the headaches for Dan Campbell as the starters like Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Terrion Arnold, D.J Reed, Sam La Porta, and Ennis Rakestraw, Jr. were sidelined. The team made it a priority by adding quality depth across different positions through free agency and the draft this season.
GettyNew Lions OC Drew Petzing
Moreover, overhauling the offensive scheme was another big step towards chasing the big goal in the 2026 season, which could benefit Jared Goff. The team hired a new offensive coordinator, Drew Petzing from the Arizona Cardinals, who succeeded John Morton after a frustrating season, leaving Dan Campbell to take play-calling duty mid-season.
As Goff remains hungry for the next season, his production was still among the elite despite his team’s failure in 2025.
Lions’ Offseason Overhaul Allows Jared Goff to Raise His Game Further
The former Lions star and the current Rams QB Matthew Stafford led the list of signal-callers with the most passing yards last season (4,707 yards). Goff closely followed the reigning NFL MVP, finishing second on the list with 4,564 passing yards.
After adding a key weapon to the O-line, the 31-year-old will hope to raise his game and surpass last season’s numbers, giving the franchise a better shot at postseason qualification and a deep playoff run.
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