The Detroit Lions' nightmare 2025 season is well behind them. We've moved on with a new draft class to hyperfixate on, and an interesting free agency class that could either end up being one of their more overwhelming ones in recent memory, or one of their most surprising.
One thing's for sure: the Lions must find a way to battle back against the growing narrative that the Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers have a better path toward winning the NFC North than they do. Power rankings are leaning into this presumption following the draft, which speaks volumes to just how poorly 2025 went for the entire team.
Bleacher Report seems to agree that the NFC North is set to be wild this season, with NFL writer Gary Davenport writing that the Packers, Bears, Lions, and Minnesota Vikings are all contenders. Davenport specifically urges Lions fans to buy in completely to their revamped 2026 offensive line and roster, though.
"There are admittedly questions in Motown. But this is a team that narrowly missed the postseason last year. It won't take much to get the Lions back in the mix," says Davenport.
Lions fans told to buy-in with 2026 Lions team
It's not hard to see the appeal with this Lions team. First of all, they're getting a golden opportunity to replicate their W-L record from 2024 with a 4th place schedule. Thanks to two losses against the Vikings in 2025, they won the right to an unbelievably easy schedule in 2026.
Assuming they stay healthy - which, for Detroit, is like assuming anyone other than Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris will have a heater of a scoring game - the Lions could be looking at another 15-2 year. That should do the trick to land them in first place in the NFC North, even over a Minnesota team set to receive a similarly easy schedule.
The second part to this is the fact that the Lions have one of the most consistent offenses in the NFL. Their lack of proper run-blocking and pass protection up front threw a wrench in their game-planning more than once, but the additions of Cade Mays, Larry Borom, and rookie Blake Miller should bring the offensive line back from mediocrity.
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Even with that mediocre play in their trenches, Detroit was still fifth in the league in yards per game with 373.2, third in passing yards with 253.1 per game, and fifth in the league in points per game with 28.3. Their running game suffered the most from that shoddy O-line play, so these plugged holes should revive that part of their offense.
Their defense remains their biggest question mark. Major turnover in their secondary and two big additions to their pass rusher room could make for a rusty start to the year on that end. The Lions have to hope that Year 2 from defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard is a great one, or they risk ending up in more shootouts than they'd like to begin the year.
Again, it's not that hard of a sell to position the Lions as contenders and likely NFC North champions. They're the most experienced of the bunch, and are headed into 2026 with a healthier roster ready to exact revenge on analysts that have seemingly forgotten about their firepower.
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