From Contenders to the Outside Looking in: The Detroit Lions’ Disappointing 2025 Season

What should have been an incredible season turned into a disappointment, as the Detroit Lions finished 9–8 and missed the playoffs. It marked their first postseason absence since the 2023–24 season, a sharp contrast from earning the NFC’s number 1 seed just one year ago.

An above .500 record is typically a positive outcome, but for Detroit, finishing 9–8 without a playoff berth fell far short of expectations. After being one of the most dominant teams in previous years, only losing 7 games in two seasons, the Lions struggled to stack wins all year.

The team faced some challenges this year including losing both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn to head coaching gigs with other teams. The Lions brought on John Morton as offensive coordinator and promoted from within as Kelvin Sheppard took over as defensive coordinator. Unfortunately, the transition was not seamless.

The Lions offense took a big step back due to multiple reasons. On top of losing one of the best offensive coordinators in the league to the Chicago Bears, the offensive line was significantly worse than in previous years, as All-Pro center Frank Ragnow retired before the season started. They also lost former All-Pro Kevin Zeitler in free agency and other key rotational lineman due to injury. An NFL offense is only as good as its offensive line, and in this case, Detroit felt the impact throughout the season.

Ultimately, head coach Dan Campbell took over offensive play calling from John Morton halfway through the year, as the offense was severely struggling. After not seeing the flashy and trickery with the plays like in years past, players and fans became frustrated. Campbell quickly inputted the old ways of the offense, and provided an immediate boost to the offense, leading them to a top five total offense in yards per game and points per game. Morton never took back play calling and was let go at the end of the season.

The same can be said on defense. Aaron Glenn took the head coaching job with the New York Jets, which led to the Lions having a new defensive play caller. First-time coordinator Kelvin Sheppard showed flashes on the headset but lacked consistency as the defense struggled in big moments. Opposing offenses converted almost 40% of the time on third down and 65% of the time on fourth down on two attempts a game. The defense also lost key positions with the departure of Carlton Davis, Za’Darius Smith, James Houston, and Ifeatu Melifonwu, as well as multiple injuries to star players Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.

The biggest setback for this team this season was the lack of aggressiveness from the front office and both the trade deadline and during free agency before the season. Going into this year, there were many question marks. Something that has been lacking significantly over the years is the defensive end position, opposite side of Aidan Hutchinson. When you have a powerhouse of Hutchinson, you need to invest in the other side to take off the double and triple teams on your star player. Aidan Hutchinson was on track to win Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, before suffering a freak accident of a broken tibia and fibula ending his season.

On top of the defensive line struggles, you dealt with safety issues with the sudden loss of Kerby Joseph all year and another injury to Brian Branch midway through the season. Then you dive into cornerback injuries with Terrion Arnold and DJ Reed. Backtracking to the offensive line regression talked about earlier, this was another hole that needed to be filled. With all these holes in the team, the front office decided to stick through adversity and roll with the guys they had. As a result, missing the playoffs.

The Lions window to win a Super Bowl was massive when they went to the NFC Championship Game back in 2024. In January of 2026, the window seems to be closing at a rapid pace. The only way to build this team back up is to take a deep dive into every aspect of this team. Some tough decisions will need to be made, including roster changes, coaching changes and going against the norm that this team has operated under the last 5 years.

The Lions top three priorities this offseason; new offensive coordinator, reconstruct the offensive line and invest in the opposite side of Aidan Hutchinson at defensive end. The Miami Dolphins fired their head coach Mike McDaniel, and there is no better candidate than him for your coordinator role. This would be a huge hire for the Lions. You cannot start signing players until the offseason, but Detroit needs to jump on the phones quickly and build this team back up.

The Detroit Lions window is not closed yet, but if they don’t act on key issues fast, that window might slam closed soon.