The time for moral victories in Detroit expired a while ago. No one inside that building is celebrating 15 wins or back-to-back division titles. Not after the way last season ended. Not when this team has already proven it’s good enough to make franchise history, just not good enough to finish the job.
It’s been two straight years of flirting with greatness. The Lions were a game away from the Super Bowl in 2023, then followed it up with the best regular season in franchise history. They earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They had a home playoff game against a rookie quarterback, and they blew it. That Washington Commanders loss still lingers, and David Montgomery made that clear after the first day of training camp.
Related: An inevitable scenario for Lions' David Montgomery in 2025 is firmly in play
Detroit brought back the backfield that powered one of the league’s top rushing attacks, with Jahmyr Gibbs and Montgomery forming the iconic "Sonic and Knuckles" duo. After two straight playoff letdowns, both know this season is about finishing the job.
David Montgomery knows close isn’t good enough anymore
He didn’t dance around it. He didn’t need to. He knows what the rest of the locker room knows—and what every fan has felt for the past two years. When speaking with ESPN's Eric Woodyard, Montgomery didn't mince words:
“Everybody’s tired of being close,” Montgomery said Sunday. “It’s cool to be close at first, but you don’t want to get comfortable with being close all the time. That’s not what you want to be known for, especially when you know you’ve got the guys, you’ve got on this team.”
That’s the tone this team needs. Not empty optimism or preseason noise. Just urgency. Montgomery sees the window. And at 28 years old, he knows exactly how quickly it can shut. He was supposed to be a vital piece of last year’s run before his MCL injury. He missed the end of the regular season and didn't look right in the playoffs.
So, it’s not just about proving the team can win. There's a lot of personal stuff, too.
Montgomery didn’t sign on to be a passenger. He came to help flip the entire narrative around this franchise. And now that expectations are sky high, he’s reminding everyone that falling short still means failing, regardless of the regular-season win totals.
This is the best roster the Lions have had in decades. The culture’s been set. The talent’s in place. The hunger’s real—watch your kneecaps. What Montgomery said isn’t groundbreaking—but that’s exactly the point. Everyone already knows what’s at stake. The difference this year is, nobody in that locker room seems interested in pretending otherwise.