The Detroit Lions were a top team in the NFL during the 1950s, winning three league championships. Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne led Detroit to titles in 1952, 1953 and the team's last championship in 1957. Detroit's 65-year title drought is second only to the Arizona Cardinals (75 years).
The Philadelphia Eagles (57 years) and the Kansas City Chiefs (49 years) are the most recent NFL teams to end significant championship droughts. The Denver Nuggets in the NBA just ended their own lengthy title drought.
Meanwhile, the Lions are widely favored to win their division for the first time since 1993, when there were 28 teams in the NFL and said division was called the NFC Central.
So could the Lions be the next team in the four major sports (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL) to end a notably lengthy title drought?
Could the Detroit Lions be the next team in the four major sports to end a long title drought?
Here are a couple reasons the Lions could be the next team in the major American sports to end a long championship drought.
Culture change
New leadership, spearheaded by principal owner Shelia Ford Hamp, is the starting point in the shift in the team's culture. Hamp has restructured the franchise, placing "football people" in charge of those aspects of the club, unlike her predecessors. Former Lions linebacker Chris Speilman's broad role in the organization has helped move Hamp's leadership decisions in the right direction.
General manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell are the front faces of the Lions' culture change. They share a similar mindset about adding tough, resilient players who prioritize the team's goals above their own. The term "Grit" has become synonymous with the franchise.
Improved play and a deeper roster
The Campbell-Holmes era didn't start well, as the team went 3-13-1 in 2021. Year was started out as moremore of the same, starting 1-6 before winning eight of their last ten games to finish 9-8, just missing the postseason. Detroit had a top-five offense in 2022.
It's well known Holmes spent the offseason revamping one of the worst secondaries in the NFL last season. Overall, the Lions have quickly added depth and talent to the roster, going from rebuild to contender in pretty short order.
The Lions are on a course that says they could compete to be in a Super Bowl, and ESPN's Louis Riddick recently boldly predicted they'll be in the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991.
So "Can the Detroit Lions be the next major sports team to break their championship drought?" The answer is a resounding yes, even if it's a tad aggressive to declare they'll do so this year.