Some NFL executives are already ruling out the Detroit Lions as legitimate Super Bowl contenders in 2025—and honestly, it doesn’t make much sense. This is the same team that finished 15-2 last season, reached the NFC Championship Game, and maintained the bulk of its roster. Yet, because the Lions lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to head coaching jobs, some around the league are acting like the team is about to fall off a cliff.
Yes, the departure of Johnson, in particular, stings. His offensive schemes helped turn Jared Goff into one of the league’s most efficient quarterbacks and kept defenses off balance all year long. But head coach Dan Campbell was ready for this moment. He promoted from within and brought in trusted coaches who have already been a part of Detroit’s rise. John Morton takes over as offensive coordinator, and Kelvin Sheppard was elevated to defensive coordinator—both familiar voices in the locker room, not outsiders starting from scratch.
The bigger point being ignored by critics is that Detroit’s core remains intact. Goff is coming off his best season as a Lion. Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to prove he’s one of the league’s top receivers. Jahmyr Gibbs adds explosive balance to the backfield, and the offensive line remains among the NFL’s most dominant units. Defensively, the return of stars like Aidan Hutchinson and Brian Branch, along with the addition of players like Carlton Davis and DJ Reader, has only strengthened the unit.
So why the early dismissal from execs? It feels less about roster construction and more about old-school bias—Detroit isn’t a traditional NFL power, so some still can’t take them seriously, even after two playoff wins and a near-Super Bowl run. But the Lions have been building for this moment for years. They’ve gone from league basement to NFC powerhouse with a physical, unified identity that hasn’t changed just because a couple of coordinators moved on.
This is still a team capable of making a deep postseason run. The players know it. The coaching staff believes it. The fans feel it. The only people doubting it are those stuck in the past—and if the Lions prove them wrong again in 2025, it won’t be a surprise to anyone who’s been paying attention.
