The Detroit Lions made one of the best head coaching hires in recent memory in 2021 when they brought in Dan Campbell to replace Matt Patricia, who was fired in the middle of the 2020 season, and Darrell Bevell, the interim coach at the time.
Since Campbell took over as the Lions’ head coach, he’s led them to a 48-36-1 record, including two double-digit win seasons, two division titles, and a trip to the NFC Championship Game in 2023.
The 2025 season was a down year for Detroit. The Lions finished last in the NFC North and missed the playoffs. However, Campbell’s group should be right back in contention in 2026, and it could finally be time for the franchise to bring home a Lombardi Trophy.
ESPN Simulation Predicts Lions Will Win Super Bowl LX
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Every year, ESPN conducts thousands of simulations to predict how the NFL season will go. Seth Walder picked a random simulation, No. 9,187, and it had the Lions winning their first Super Bowl in franchise history.
The simulation had Detroit beating the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round, taking down the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round, defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, and then finishing the job against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Super Bowl.
The Lions are definitely one of the top championship contenders in the NFC. The offense, led by new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, is still filled with dynamic talent, and though the offensive line is a question mark, the unit only needs to be above average to ensure offensive success.
As for the defense, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will be relying on someone else in the edge rusher room to step up opposite Aidan Hutchinson, and on the secondary to hold up. If the Lions can generate consistent pressure, it’ll ease the tensions on the secondary and lead to the defense being a quality unit.
Overall, as long as Detroit has Campbell, the offensive core of quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, tight end Sam LaPorta, and left tackle Penei Sewell, and a serviceable defense, the Lions will always be in Super Bowl talks. The Lions could finally get over the hump in 2026 and bring a Lombardi to the Motor City.
