Alongside the release of their 2024 regular season schedule, the Detroit Lions also unveiled their three preseason opponents. The dates and times of those game can easily be ballparked, but they were not official until Tuesday morning as the team starts the next phase of OTAs.
Here's a look at the Lions' 2024 preseason schedule.
Update, June 7, 4:25 p.m. ET: The NFL has officially announced the entire 2024 preseason schedule.
Week 1: at New York Giants, Thursday, Aug. 8: 7 p.m. ET
Week 2: at Kansas City Chiefs, Saturday, Aug. 17: 4 p.m. ET
Week 3: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Saturday, Aug. 24: 1 p.m. ET
Since it's the NFC's turn to have an extra home game during the regular season, the Lions will have just one preseason game at home, the finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Lions played the Giants in last year's preseason opener, and that was preceded by joint practices. At the league meetings back in March, head coach Dan Campbell confirmed he wanted to do it again, with the Lions traveling to the Giants' facility this time around.
"That’s not in stone," Campbell said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "'Cause I said this last year and I know Mr. Mara (Giants owner John Mara) got on me like, 'Hey, this thing’s already out.' So there’s a chance. I don’t know if it’s going to get done or not, but we’ve been talking about it just because we wanted to reciprocate the fact they came to us, we wanted to give it to them."
Detroit Lions may only have one set of joint practices this year
The Lions had two sets of joint practices last year, also doing so with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Per Justin Rogers of the Detroit News, at the March league meetings, Campbell said he'd like to have two sets of joint practices again this year.
"Whoever we match up with in Week 2, I would love to do two weeks (of joint practices) again, like we did last year", Campbell said. It’ll be predicated on who that is and whether we go to them or they come to us. But yeah, I’m all for it."
Chiefs' head coach Andy Reid is openly and clearly adverse to doing joint practices, and it's unlikely he changes that tune just because Campbell values them a lot. Steelers general manager Omar Khan said that team was basically done with joint practices on the "Pat McAfee Show" last year, but he sort of left the door open to conversation if a preseason opponent wanted.
If they only have one set of joint practices, as suggested by Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports, the Lions may play more starters in preseason games. There's a definite risk/reward balance to strike there, but Lions' starters may not sit out the entire preseason this year.