The Detroit Lions are two years removed from an NFC Championship appearance and one season removed from a 15-2 campaign that was wrecked by injuries at the worst time. It wasn’t about regression or gameplanning or suddenly falling apart—it was just bad luck.
They still locked up the top seed and had the best record in football. But by the time the playoffs rolled around, the defense was missing key starters everywhere. Guys who mattered most weren’t on the field, and that's the only way to explain what happened against the Washington Commanders.
So when Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report labeled “a healthier roster” as the Lions’ biggest reason for optimism in 2025, it wasn’t anything fans hadn’t already been thinking.