The Detroit Lions had a down year in 2025, finishing the season with a 9-8 record and missing the playoffs. Detroit’s defensive struggles were a big reason why the season was so underwhelming, and the unit is determined to be better in 2026.
Linebacker Jack Campbell spoke with the media on Friday, and opened up about his mindset as a leader for the unit. Campbell spoke specifically about stopping the run, saying, “I hang my hat on the run game. Hopefully, there’s no excuses there.”
The veteran defender went on to emphasize that the defense needs to carry a no-excuses mindset in 2026, saying that he will see to it that the team operates with that standard.
"There’s no excuses— that’s like something, obviously, we’re not going to go for this year. It’s just get your job done, and if you don’t do it, you can see it on the tape; it’s blatant. Doesn’t matter if you’re the top guy or the bottom guy on the roster, we need you to do your job. And everyone will be held accountable, and I feel like that also starts with me. I can work to continue to improve on that."Jack Campbell
Jack Campbell vows to hold Lions defense accountable
This is the exact mindset a team should want from it’s All-Pro linebacker. Campbell likely made sure to send the message that Detroit can’t afford to make excuses moving forward, because a lot of excuses were made for the defense’s performance last season.
To be fair, the Lions did deal with their fair share of injuries. Missing key players is a big reason why the defense allowed 331.9 yards per game (18th in the NFL), and 24.3 points per game, which ranked 22nd in the league.
Campbell doesn’t care about how valid the excuse is; he doesn’t want to hear it. Instead, he wants every player on the defense to play to a certain standard. That means even if Detroit does have to deal with unfortunate injuries, the next man up will be prepared to fill in and take care of business.
If the linebacker can get the defense to operate at this standard, the Lions should have a much better defensive unit in 2026. With Detroit’s offense remaining a productive unit, a better defense would move the Lions right back to contender status.
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