Less than a week remains before Detroit Lions football is back. Hungry to turn things around after a disappointing 2025 campaign, the Lions will hope to come out strong against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Head coach Dan Campbell kicked the week off with a press conference, where he provided the latest updates on roster decisions, injury updates, and position battles.
After a long training camp and three preseason games, the Lions have a good idea of who they are. Campbell and Brad Holmes have both talked extensively about how much they believe in the depth and talent on this team. Who the starters are and what the rotation is going to be are mostly set ahead of Week 1.
Lions' offensive line for Week 1 is still undecided
But Campbell revealed one starting spot that is still up for grabs. In his remarks to the media, the head coach refused to name the starting left guard. After naming every other starter on the offensive line, Campbell reportedly named both Christian Mahogany and Ben Bartch at left guard, per team insider Mike Payton.
This has been the case all offseason. Detroit has been searching for answers on the offensive line after Cade Mays was sidelined with a wrist injury. Juice Scruggs has seemingly earned the starting job at center for now, but the search at left guard continues.
It's certainly telling that Mahogany hasn't earned the starting spot outright. After starting for most of last season at LG, Mahogany was expected to have the inside track to start again this season. He took most of the snaps there in the preseason.
Ben Bartch, on the other hand, has been dealing with injuries during camp. He has been recovering from last year's Lisfranc injury coming into camp, and he suffered a concussion that kept him out of the first two preseason games. When he returned, he played 39 snaps at LG in the third preseason game. According to Pro Football Focus, Bartch had a higher offensive grade than in either of Mahogany's games.
Despite being a limited participant in training camp and playing in only one preseason game, Bartch has seemingly done enough to give Mahogany a run for his money. The fact that Mahogany wasn't able to secure the starting spot ahead of his third season, even though he barely had any competition all summer, has to be disappointing.
The Lions' offensive line has to be considered fluid. There may be more changes depending on how the offense looks early in the season. Miles Frazier remains a backup option on the offensive line, and Mason Miller is waiting for his turn on the practice squad. Who will make the most of this opportunity to establish themselves as the team's full-time starter remains to be seen.
Add us as a preferred source on Google