Barry Sanders is loving what he sees from the Detroit Lions under Dan Campbell, calling this era of Lions football one of the most impressive in franchise history.
Despite last season’s playoff disappointment against the Washington Commanders, Detroit’s two-year run has been its most successful stretch in the Super Bowl era. The Lions finished 15-2 in 2023, won their first playoff game since 1991, and reached the NFC Championship Game. Sanders, who was part of that 1991 squad, believes this team is built to keep contending.
“Even though there’s just been two playoff runs, before that we saw improvement,” Sanders said in a recent interview. “You look at the season before we made the playoffs, we go into Green Bay and beat Aaron Rodgers, and we won nine games. You could see that team was building toward something.”
Detroit has racked up 27 wins over the last two seasons—more than any other NFL team, including the Kansas City Chiefs. While their postseason loss stung, Sanders thinks those experiences will only make them stronger.
“When you look at NFC football over the last handful of years, the Lions have played as well as anyone, maybe with the exception of the Eagles,” Sanders said. “We’re right there in the conversation.”
The Hall of Famer knows a thing or two about lifting the Lions to success. In his 10 seasons, Sanders led Detroit to five playoff appearances but only one postseason victory, a frustrating reality that contributed to his early retirement. Now, he sees a Lions team positioned for long-term success, with a strong core led by Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Aidan Hutchinson.
“Winning the division last year and having a first-round bye—that’s what you dream of, right?” Sanders said. “We weren’t able to take full advantage of that, but that’s still a great advantage. It means you’re that much closer to winning a Super Bowl.”
While the Lions lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson this offseason, Sanders believes the foundation remains intact.
“We still have a great nucleus,” he said. “We still have a great coach in Dan Campbell. We still have a lot of the same people in the building. We lost some valuable coaching, but that’s a part of this game. We still have the main ingredient, which is the head coach and the players.”
At 56, Sanders has also turned his attention to raising awareness about sleep apnea through a partnership with Sleep Number. He hopes to help others recognize symptoms and seek treatment through their new Breathe IQ app, which monitors snoring and breathing patterns.
“They’re doing a wonderful job helping people sleep better and detect things like sleep apnea,” Sanders explained. “So many people snore—over a hundred million—and many of those cases go undiagnosed.”
While Sanders is focused on health awareness, he’s also keeping a close eye on his former team. And from what he’s seen, the Lions are just getting started.
Barry Sanders on Lions’ Bright Future: ‘A Great Nucleus to Build On’
