Detroit Lions have light travel mileage again for 2023 season

It’s not quite as light as last year, but the Detroit Lions will have pretty light travel mileage again during the 2023 regular season.

The Detroit Lions will know their full 2023 regular season schedule, weeks, times, etc. on Thursday night. They, and every other team, know their opponents home and road already.

Last season, the Lions had the second-fewest travel miles among NFL teams last year, never going west of Dallas. It’s not quite as favorable in terms of travel mileage this year, as we know there’s a trip to Los Angeles to play the Chargers, a trip to Tampa Bay, another trip to Dallas and a trip to Kansas City.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter is back with the list of the travel miles that will be done by each team for the 2023 regular season. The Seattle Seahawks again top the list, and the remainder of the top-5 isn’t too shocking based on their locations (San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers).

The mileage numbers (air distance between each stadium) include the five international games, to however inflate the totals of the teams going overseas. As we know, the Lions don’t have an overseas game this season.

Detroit Lions will have lighter travel mileage again in 2023

The Cincinnati Bengals will travel the fewest miles this season (11,942), as if they need something else positive. The Lions’ NFC North rivals have the second (Green Bay Packers), third (Chicago Bears) and fifth (Minnesota Vikings) fewest miles traveled this season.

The Lions come in with the sixth-fewest travel miles in the league for the 2023 season (13,923). And they will actually travel the fewest time zones in the league, with eight. They’re the only team that will change time zones less than 12 times this season.

As much as not having to travel long distances (or not having do it very often) can be an advantage, the Lions will be on the favorable end of that again this season.