The Detroit Lions face several important decisions in the 2025 offseason.
After a 15-2 season that saw them win the NFC North and secure a first-round bye, the Lions were eliminated in the divisional round by the Washington Commanders. The team now seeks a way to replicate its regular-season success while overcoming the playoff hurdles that have kept them from reaching the Super Bowl for 59 years.
Here are five key questions for general manager Brad Holmes, head coach Dan Campbell, and the Lions heading into Year 5 of this regime.
Continuity with new coordinators?
The Lions are set to have new play-callers on both offense and defense, as Ben Johnson moves to Chicago and Aaron Glenn heads to New York. Head coach Dan Campbell expressed a desire to maintain continuity in the team’s system, promoting Kelvin Sheppard from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator. Sheppard, who had been working under Glenn, will now have Shaun Dion Hamilton as his new linebackers coach. On offense, the Lions hired John Morton, the former pass game coordinator for the Denver Broncos, as their new offensive coordinator. Though changes are expected, the Lions will aim to keep their identity intact.
Improving vs. maintaining the roster?
With one of the top-10 cap spaces for 2025, the Lions will have to manage contract extensions and free-agent signings carefully. They have 31 pending free agents, including some key players like Carlton Davis, Kevin Zeitler, and Levi Onwuzurike. The Lions will look to strike a balance between maintaining flexibility and locking in players for the long term, including potential extensions for stars from the 2022 draft class like Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, and Kerby Joseph.