By Moses Joshua 
After a season that began with Super Bowl dreams and ended in quiet frustration, Detroit’s general manager faces the most important crossroads of his Lions tenure.
The fall from 15 wins and a division crown to a 9–8 finish without a playoff berth doesn’t happen in a vacuum. For the Detroit Lions, 2025 wasn’t just a step back — it was a warning. Brad Holmes helped build one of the league’s most admired rosters over the past four years, but the cracks that appeared this season now demand more than optimism. They demand answers.
Detroit surged out of the gate, thumping Chicago 52–21 in Week 2 and stunning Baltimore on Monday night a week later. By the time the Week 8 bye arrived, the Lions were 5–2 and eyeing another January run. Then came the loss to Minnesota at Ford Field — a game that changed everything. From that point forward, Detroit went 4–6, looking nothing like the contender fans had come to expect. The Christmas Day defeat to a Vikings team led by backup Max Brosmer was the final blow.
Holmes can’t hide behind the injury list anymore. The problems ran deeper.
A Foundation That Started to Crumble Up Front
The offensive line, once the team’s calling card, never found its footing after losing Frank Ragnow. The run game remained functional, but the dominance was gone. Detroit failed to reach 100 rushing yards seven times — a stunning regression from the year before.
Injuries became routine, not the exception. Taylor Decker lived on the injury report, while the guard play vacillated week to week. And now the franchise faces an uncomfortable reality: Decker may have played his final snap in Honolulu blue.
“You can’t play football forever, and it will be challenging,” Decker admitted after the Week 18 win over Chicago. “All I’ve done is I’ve played football forever… I’ve played offensive line since 2002. That’s all I’ve played.”
Holmes must now prepare for life after a cornerstone. Whether through the draft or free agency, the Lions need more than patchwork solutions — they need a reimagined front that can protect Jared Goff and reestablish Detroit’s identity.
The Pass Rush That Never Truly Arrived
Aidan Hutchinson has become exactly what the Lions hoped he would be. But for three seasons, he has fought alone.
Holmes’ repeated attempts to find a complementary edge rusher on the cheap finally caught up with him. Marcus Davenport, signed twice to fill that role, produced 1.5 sacks across 10 games. It wasn’t bad luck anymore — it was a pattern.
Detroit’s defense struggled to close drives, struggled to pressure quarterbacks, and too often relied on Hutchinson to create chaos by himself. That is not a recipe for sustainable success in today’s NFL.
This offseason, Holmes has to decide: does he continue shopping in the bargain aisle, or does he finally invest premium capital to complete the pass-rushing unit?
The Culture Is Set — The Expectations Are Higher
To his credit, Holmes has helped change the tone of an entire franchise. Four straight winning seasons. Two division titles. An NFC Championship appearance. Those achievements matter.
But as Herman Moore recently reminded fans, the NFL doesn’t reward proximity to success.
The bar has moved. In Detroit, nine wins are no longer celebrated. They’re scrutinized.
This is what comes with growth. The fan base that once endured 0–16 now expects Lombardi Trophies. That’s the world Holmes created — and now must live in.
The Offseason That Will Define His Legacy
The Lions pick 17th in the upcoming draft. They’ll have options to address the offensive line. They’ll have options to finally find a real partner for Hutchinson. But what they can’t afford is another year of half-measures.
Holmes has proven he can build. Now he has to prove he can reload.
Because in 2026, Detroit won’t be satisfied with progress. It will demand a championship push — and this time, there will be no excuses.