The Detroit Lions are entering their second season without Ben Johnson. The now-Chicago Bears head coach spent six seasons on the Lions' coaching staff, including three as offensive coordinator from 2022 to 2024.
Johnson was the mastermind behind Detroit's dynamic offense that took the league by storm. This led to Johnson landing the Bears' head coaching job in January 2025.
In his debut season with the Bears, Johnson led Chicago to a division title and a playoff win. The 40-year-old is already one of the best young coaches in the NFL and has the Bears set up for success for years to come.
On the other hand, the Lions missed the playoffs in their first year without Johnson, and though the offense wasn't awful, they did take a step back. As a result, there's a chance Detroit missed their opportunity to bring a Lombardi Trophy to the Motor City when Johnson was in town.
Johnson's Departure Could Have Closed Lions Super Bowl Window
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Athlon Sports' Luke Easterling laid out how each NFL team can win the Super Bowl in 2026, and for the Lions, he believes Dan Campbell's group has no chance unless Johnson returns. Easterling added that the Lions are more likely to see Johnson win a championship with the Bears than they are to win one themselves, which is a gut-wrenching assessment.
After Detroit blew a 24-7 halftime lead to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2024 NFC Championship Game, Campbell told his team that they may have blown their best chance to bring home a title.
"I told those guys, this may have been our only shot," Campbell told reporters after losing the NFC Championship Game by a score of 34-31 to the 49ers. "Do I think that? No. Do I believe that? No. However, I know how hard it is to get here. I’m well aware. And it’s gonna be twice as hard to get back to this point next year than it was this year."
Fast forward two years, and that quote has proven true for the Lions so far. Despite being the No. 1 seed in the NFC during the 2024-2025 season, Detroit failed to tally a playoff victory, falling to the Washington Commanders at home in the divisional round. The 2025-2026 season was an even worse year, as the Lions finished last in the NFC North and didn't qualify for the postseason.
The Lions will have newfound motivation to bounce back in 2026 and make some noise in the playoffs. However, there's a high chance that Detroit has already peaked in the Campbell and Brad Holmes era, and Johnson's exit is major reason why their Super Bowl is possibly slammed shut.
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