The Detroit Lions have plenty of important decisions to make in the 2025 NFL offseason.
The Lions went 15-2 to win the NFC North and earn a first-round bye but fell in the divisional round to the Washington Commanders.
Now, the Lions will try to find a path forward that will recreate similar success in the regular season, while finding a way to leap the postseason hurdles that have eliminated them before reaching the Super Bowl for 59 straight seasons.
Here are five offseason questions for general manager Brad Holmes, head coach Dan Campbell and the Lions to tackle in 2025 entering Year 5 of this regime.
Continuity with new coordinators?
The Lions will have new play-callers on both sides of the ball with Ben Johnson off to Chicago and Aaron Glenn to New York.
Last week, head coach Dan Campbell said he wanted to maintain continuity in the scheme on both sides of the ball. He made an in-house promotion by elevating Kelvin Sheppard from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator. Sheppard had been preparing under Glenn and will have Shaun Dion Hamilton, Sheppard’s previous assistant, stepping into his old role coaching linebackers.
“No, I don’t see philosophy changing,” Campbell said last Monday. “No, I think what we are is what we are, and we’ve been that way since I’ve been here.
“So, does that mean a couple of things get tweaked? A couple of things will get tweaked, just the nature of new coordinators if that happens because you want it to be kind of their flavor, their style with it, but yet, what I want is what we’re going to do, and what we’re about and what (Jared) Goff’s about.”
The Lions on Tuesday agreed to hire Denver Broncos pass game coordinator John Morton as the new OC. He was on the Lions’ staff in 2022 and was called “one of the masterminds” of the Lions’ scheme.
The Lions had seven Pro Bowl players in 2024 and one more named an All-Pro, safety Kerby Joseph. The offense returns starters at every position except right guard Kevin Zeitler, a pending free agent. The defense has starters everywhere except strongside linebacker and one cornerback spot because of pending free agents.
It may take a second to gel, but the Lions have the personnel to achieve similar success on both units. The offense should still hum with Goff, the offensive line and skill position players in place. The defense should stick closer to its play in the first half while maintaining a scheme predicated around man coverage and bringing pressure in the front seven if they can stay healthy.
Balance of improving vs. maintaining roster?
The Lions rank in the top-10 of available cap space in 2025, but sit in the bottom five for 2026 due to contract extensions handed out to four cornerstone players. The Lions also have 31 pending free agents, though only a few are starters: Carlton Davis, Zeitler and defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike.
The Lions must find the right short-term deals to fill the roster in free agency while not sacrificing flexibility. Detroit can also start handing out extensions to players from the 2022 draft class, including Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams and Joseph.
“We’re aware of a lot of other guys that are either on expiring contracts that had good contributions to our team this year, or guys that are worthy for an extension or in consideration for an extension,” Holmes said last Thursday. “So, no intense action yet, but we’re very aware of it.”
Restocking the shelves?
No matter who they bring back, there will be inevitable roster churn. The front office will maintain its approach to using free agency to plug holes and the draft to find the best players available.
The strategy turned the roster into a contender and there is no reason to stray now. The Lions only had one rookie starter in 2024, first-round cornerback Terrion Arnold, but found other contributors and pieces that are in line for bigger roles if development keeps up.
The Lions have seven draft picks and will be looking for an infusion of young talent to reach the next step, as the team did with the 2023 draft class or the Philadelphia Eagles did on defense this season. The Lions are not likely going to leverage the picks into a deal for a veteran player.
“Well if it’s the right veteran player that can help us and it’s the right fit, then we have no problem doing it if it’s going to help our football team,” Holmes said. “But we’ve always said that we’re going to build through the draft, and I think that’s why we are in the position that we are in from a ‘window standpoint’ of having the comfort to keep building like we have been.”
Strength in stars?
Based on the law of averages, the Lions should be healthier defensively after being ravaged in 2024. The Lions were down more than a dozen defensive players, with most coming on the line or at linebacker.
The Lions defense gradually deteriorated as the injuries concentrated in the front seven. They still plugged some holes because of the playmakers they had in Jack Campbell, Brian Branch and Joseph, but lacked a game-changing line. With Hutchinson, D.J. Reader and Za’Darius Smith and any new additions available, the Lions will look to get more from their defensive line.
“When we were at full health, I thought our pass rush was pretty good,” Holmes said. “I thought the whole defense, I think it was self-explanatory in terms of the numbers of what we were able to produce before that attrition happened.”
Execution in the biggest moments?
The 2024 playoffs have been a stark reminder of the few plays that can swing the outcome of each game. The Lions have learned the painful lesson two years in a row now — this year with a five-turnover performance at home. They have the players and leadership in place to find success, but need to solve the postseason equation. And that starts with getting it right during the player acquisition period.
“I think the most important thing is to want — you’ve got your culture, you’ve got your identity, and you’ve got players that fit into that, and we’ve got that,” Dan Campbell said last Monday. “We’ve got players in every pivotal position you can ask for to have success, and those guys are made the right way, so absolutely, our window is open.”
