The Detroit Lions' 2025 season never had a chance to reach the heights fans expected. Losing Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn was a huge blow to the coaching staff, and what started as a promising campaign ended with the Lions in fourth place in the NFC North.
While going 9-8 would've been good enough to make the playoffs in other divisions, that's not going to cut it in the NFC North. However, there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and it is that the Lions will now face a fourth-place schedule next season. On top of that, they're going to face at least five new head coaches.
The Coaching Carousel Helped the Lions' Schedule
The Lions will square off against the fourth-place teams in the NFC East (New York Giants), NFC West (Arizona Cardinals), and AFC South (Tennessee Titans), all of which will have new head coaches, some of whom could even be working with first-time head coaches.
They will host the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, and the Giants. Likewise, they'll meet all their divisional rivals on the road, while also visiting the Carolina Panthers, Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, and Miami Dolphins. The last two will also have new head coaches, and there's even a chance that the Bills will fire Sean McDermott after the playoffs.
Of course, there are no guarantees that facing a first-year head coach will translate into an easy win. If anything, we saw what hiring guys like Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, and Liam Coen can do for an organization. Also, John Harbaugh is a well-seasoned coach, and other experienced guys, like Kevin Stefanski, Kliff Kingsbury, and Mike McCarthy, could also be in play.
That being said, the Lions are clearly much better than the average fourth-place team; it's not even close. On paper at least, they shouldn't have any trouble getting past most of their opposition next season. It will likely come down to whether they can hold their ground with their divisional rivals.
Dan Campbell needs to find someone to help the offense get back on track after the John Morton debacle, and that should probably be the No. 1 issue on the agenda. With this talented roster, the No. 17 pick, and a schedule that looks quite favorable, this team has no excuse and should return to its usual dominance in the following season.