The Detroit Lions are a very forward-thinking team, while obviously treating each week with the attention they deserve. They build through the draft. They invest in their youth, while fighting to keep key veterans on board with them. One of their biggest trades in the 2020s was for Jared Goff, who has become one of the franchise's best quarterbacks in history. He's here for the long haul.
One area that the Lions have been on the outside looking in on is at the trade deadline. They've "tried" multiple times to land help throughout recent seasons - at cornerback, at edge rusher, at linebacker. But, they ultimately tend to stick with "their guys." They like their depth, and the promise of the team they trot out each week. To be fair, they're 6-2 this year - that doesn't scream "team in a tailspin."
Still, you have to wonder if their timeline for a Super Bowl is simply different from the average fans' perception. Many feel this team should have, and could have, already won a championship. But, it remains elusive. And, moves continue to not be made, outside of draft weekend. So, what is the Lions' definition for success going to be this season?
Honestly, probably not a Super Bowl.
Lions' barometer for success is likely deep postseason run
Detroit has been unbelievably lucky on the injury front this season, with major returns from Brian Branch and one on the horizon from Kerby Joseph. This is after we all started the year basically resigned to the idea that Joseph wouldn't suit up until 2027, if that. Their defensive line is majorly improved this season, while their offense and offensive line are getting better each week.
Of course, their one question mark on the year is the viability of their aggregate secondary. D.J. Reed is the teams' clear CB1, but he's been hurt for a few weeks with a hip injury. Without him, the team has to rely on Roger McCreary, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Nick Whiteside, and Khalil Dorsey to pick up the slack. Relying on a rotation like this in a Super Bowl or bust season just doesn't seem logical.
That's why it just doesn't feel like this Lions team is concerned about winning a chip this year, considering their core. They aren't aging out, per se, but they're not spring chickens, either. However, they do have a younger star core than most other teams, rivaled only by teams like the Green Bay Packers or Chicago Bears at the moment. Because why not make the division unbelievably difficult for years to come?
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Would it be a total failure for the team to not reach the championship this year? Not at all. Penei Sewell, to my shock everytime I think about it, is only 26 years old. Jahmyr Gibbs is 24. Amon-Ra St. Brown is 27, while Jameson Williams is 25. On defense, Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill are only 26 years old.
These are key pieces to the Lions' success, and they have plenty of younger and talented depth behind them. Their cornerback room remains the biggest problem, and one they're likely to address in, you guessed it, the upcoming 2027 NFL draft.
A deep run would be a huge morale boost for Detroit after missing out on the postseason entirely, and as we've seen so many times in recent postseasons, you have to wipe away the predictability of the regular season when your championship fate rests on just 3-4 games. Still, a Super Bowl win, or appearance, shouldn't necessarily dictate the Lions' success for 2026.
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