'Our window is not closed': Why Dan Campbell, other NFL coaches believe Lions will be back in 2026
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- Dan Campbell insisted the Lions' championship window 'is not closed' despite their 9-8 finish in 2025, telling ESPN that Detroit is DraftKings-favored to win the NFC North and has the fifth-best conference title odds
- Detroit lost eight coaches after its 15-2 2024 campaign — including coordinators Ben Johnson (now Bears head coach) and Aaron Glenn (now Jets head coach) — and Campbell called replacing that many 'a tall task'
- The Lions hired former Cardinals OC Drew Petzing to replace fired OC John Morton, after Morton's unit failed to establish an identity outside of home-run plays; Petzing's Arizona offense ranked second in rushing yards per attempt (4.92) over three years
- Detroit completed a two-year offensive line renovation by moving All-Pro Penei Sewell from right tackle to left, signing Cade Mays in free agency, and drafting Blake Miller at No. 17 overall
- GM Brad Holmes has poured more than $1 billion into extensions for homegrown talent over three years, with new deals for running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell joining prior signings
- Peer coaches Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, and Zac Taylor each backed Detroit as elite heading into 2026, with LaFleur saying the Lions' coordinator turnover brought 'growing pains' but not a talent decline
- Holmes has drafted six All-Pro players since 2021 — more than any other GM or franchise in that span, per Elias Sports Bureau — anchoring a core ESPN's Mike Clay projects at 12 wins in 2026
Why it matters: Detroit has now committed over $1 billion to a draft-and-develop core through 2027 and beyond, betting that coordinator continuity and a retooled offensive line around Penei Sewell will translate the 2024 juggernaut's production into a Super Bowl run. The gamble matters because three peer coaches independently downplayed the 9-8 finish as a transition-year blip, and DraftKings' NFC North favorite tag forces the Lions to outperform a division that includes the Packers and Bears.
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