The Detroit Lions entered the 2024 season with a singular goal — to take home the first Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Though they finished the regular season on track toward that goal by winning a league-best 15 games and earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Lions fell apart in their divisional-round game to Washington Commanders.
The Super Bowl goal may have slipped even further away after the loss, with the Lions losing both their offensive and defensive coordinators to fill head coaching vacancies. The team could now face a difficult path back to contention in 2025, one analyst warned.
No ‘Sugarcoating’ Loss for the Lions
The Lions will have a big hole to fill on Dan Campbell’s staff this offseason after offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn took a job leading the New York Jets.
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport warned that the Lions will likely face a dropoff from the loss of Glenn, especially when coupled with the expected loss of some key players in free agency.
“But there’s no sugarcoating the impact of this loss on the Lions,” Davenport wrote. “It’s just one more thing. First, it was the devastating Divisional Round loss to Washington. Now the team also has to replace both coordinators. And that’s without even taking into consideration player attrition due to free agency.
“Oftentimes, it can be even harder to stay on top than it is to get there.”
The Lions will also get some key players back, including star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson who was placed on injured reserve after suffering a fractured leg in October.
Dan Campbell Addresses Team’s Future
During the last offseason, Campbell declared that anything short of a Super Bowl would be a failure for the Lions. Campbell had built the Lions from a bottom-dwelling team into a contender, reaching the NFC title game last season but blowing a 17-point lead to the San Francisco 49ers.
Speaking to reporters in May, Campbell said he believed his squad had what it took to win in 2024.
“I don’t see bust, I see Super Bowl. I don’t know what bust is,” said Campbell.
“Every team ought to have that. Every team ought to be like ‘Man, what are you playing for? You’re playing for a Super Bowl.’ We’re no different than that.”
Despite the heartbreaking loss to the Commanders — a game where the Lions threw four interceptions — Campbell said he still believes his team will contend for a Super Bowl next season.
“That core group is still intact and some of these guys are now — we’ve signed some back, some are up on contracts and that’ll be ongoing,” Campbell said. “But yeah, we absolutely do (have a window to contend still). And I think the most important thing is … you’ve got your culture, you’ve got your identity and you’ve got players that fit into that, and we’ve got that. We’ve got players in every pivotal position you can ask for to have success. And those guys are made the right way, so absolutely, our window is open.”
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