We're officially past the 100-day mark in the countdown to the start of the 2026 season, and ESPN is commemorating that offseason milestone with "100 big things to know" entering the new season.
ESPN's primer is broken down into various sections, such as remaining offseason storylines, like the Detroit Lions' remaining contract extensions, as well as notable position battles.
But it's the "10 bold predictions" section that should have Lions fans excited. Fantasy analyst Mike Clay predicted that the "Lions will go from last to first in the NFC North ... in dominant fashion."
"Defensive injuries have derailed Detroit in recent seasons, but this roster -- when healthy -- is terrific on both sides of the ball. Add in one of the league's easiest schedules, and the Lions are primed for a Super Bowl push."
Predicting the Lions going from worst to first, or even returning to contention, isn't anything out of the ordinary, but to say the Lions will do so handily is certainly bold. Last season, all four NFC North teams finished above .500, and none of the teams have gotten notably worse. In fact, in another bold prediction, analyst Mike Tannenbaum predicted that new Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray will win Comeback Player of the Year, a massive upgrade at their 2025 weak point.
This division is expected to be highly competitive, but Clay does make some valid points. The Lions do have an easy schedule as it stands now, thanks to their last-place finish last season. That should help them pad their win total at least a little bit, while a team like the Chicago Bears endures a tough first-place schedule.
The Lions have been plagued with injuries in recent years, and it would be bold enough to predict that won't be the case again in 2026. However, this is an extremely talented roster when healthy. If the team can remain healthy enough, that combined with a fourth-place schedule could have them looking closer to their playoff-winning 2023 selves as opposed to their disappointing 2025 selves.
Lions snubbed from MVP chatter
It's definitely too early to seriously talk about who wins MVP -- it would be too early in October. But it never hurts to throw out predictions. Various ESPN analysts named their own candidates and predictions on who will claim the coveted honor this season.
Among those candidates are many of the usual suspects like former MVPs Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Matthew Stafford. Potential first-time MVPs include last season's runner-up Drake Maye, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott, and Jordan Love. Analyst Matt Bowen also named Caleb Williams as his MVP in his own bold prediction.
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Missing from those MVP candidates are Lions players. Quarterback Jared Goff has led the league in passing yards and touchdowns since 2023, and can absolutely put up MVP-caliber passing numbers for a division-winning Lions team. Beyond Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs is gaining award hype, with him expected to take on a greater load with the run game after the David Montgomery trade.
Of course, the neat thing about predictions is that most of them end up wrong. Hopefully, Clay's prediction isn't one of them and that the Lions return to form "in dominant fashion" in 2026.
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