The Detroit Lions' 2026 season schedule has officially been released. After finishing last in the NFC North with a 9-8 overall record and missing the playoffs following two consecutive appearances, the Lions hope to benefit from a fourth-place schedule and reclaim their crown as division champions.Â
Why Lions fans should be upset over positioning of bye week
Despite having a favorable fourth-place schedule, some Lions fans are upset over how early in the season the Lions' bye week is. Instead of having a bye week before or after the Lions travel to Germany to face the Patriots, their bye week will be after Detroit faces the Arizona Cardinals on the road in week 5, well before they travel overseas.
The positioning of this bye week could have consequences for the Lions. Some fans believe that the early bye week during the 2024 season hurt the team's health and their inability to rest key players in what was an injury-battered season for their defense.
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That season, the Lions' bye week was in Week 5 after their 42-29 Monday night football win over the Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field, which took place right before defensive end Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending broken tibia in Detroit’s dominating 47-9 road win over the Dallas Cowboys.Â
Lions fans would like to forget all the injuries that they suffered after that and how not having a bye week later in the season crushed their opportunities to rest key players who were battling through injuries. With the Lions aiming to be a top contender in the NFC next season, they’d like to avoid history repeating itself and stay healthy with 12 straight weeks of football after the bye week.Â
The Lions difficult November stretch
To make matters worse, between the Lions' playing the Patriots in Germany in week 10 and their game against the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving, Detroit will also play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field. Playing three games in 11 days, not to mention traveling thousands of miles overseas, will be a challenge for the Lions.
It's safe to say Lions fans would prefer a bye week after playing the Patriots to tune up for a Thanksgiving revenge game against Ben Johnson and the Bears. In addition to playing the New Orleans Saints to open the season and the Cardinals before their bye week, the Lions' first five matchups of the year also include a Thursday night showdown against the Buffalo Bills in the new Highmark Stadium.Â
The Lions also play the New York Jets at home and the Carolina Panthers on the road. Entering the bye week with a minimum 4-1 record would be considered a success for Detroit. Â
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