After the Detroit Lions lost in the 2025 NFC Divisional Round to the Washington Commanders and finished the season with a 15-2 record, fans have high expectations going into this season. The Lions have never been to a Super Bowl, but with the team’s recent rebuild, this could be their shot.
This year, their sidelines look different after losing Aaron Glen (Defensive Coordinator) to the New York Jets and Ben Johnson (Offensive Coordinator) to the Chicago Bears. Given how long they were coaches together, the Lions’ chemistry could change from the momentum they had last season.
One thing that will affect the Lions’ outcome is Aiden Hutchuson (Defensive End) being back and healthy. After his gruesome injury last season, when he broke his leg during the Cowboys game in week 6, it affected the team’s defense and their ability to rush quarterbacks. By the end of last season, the Lions had 23 players out with injuries, which led to them falling early in the postseason.
Lions fans at Skylie are expecting to see a playoff run and a possible Super Bowl win this year. “This year, I expect the Lions to make the playoffs at a minimum,” said Jay Aiyagari (‘28). “Even if they lose the division, they should at least be able to get 2nd place in the NFC North and make it in on a wildcard spot. I think that the Lions do have a good chance to win the Super Bowl this year because of their offensive strength.”
The leadership changes will be a major experiment for the new coaching staff and will affect the way that the Lions run the program. “I think with this new coaching staff, it’s not exactly better than before because Ben Johnson was a very good offensive coach and really got the Lions a lot of points last season,” said Jozo Roos (‘28), “I think we can do the same this season as well because we still have a lot of good players who know what they are doing. I think we will still win even with the new staff.”
“Even though they lost key coordinators and interior linemen, most importantly: Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Sam LaPorta, they are still a good team, and the new rookies show promise,” said Lavi Curtis (‘28). “If the defense can get its act together and the offense gets creative, Detroit might go far this season.”
With the Lions falling in weeks one and six, they must step up their game to become a contender this postseason.
