Are The Detroit Lions Still Super Bowl Contenders?

It would be hard to say the Detroit Lions have gotten better in free agency so far. Thus far, they’ve lost:

• QB Kyle Allen
• RB David Montgomery
• WR Kalif Raymond
• LT Taylor Decker
• C/G Graham Glasgow
• DT Roy Lopez
• EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad
• EDGE Tyrus Wheat
• LB Alex Anzalone
• LB Grant Stuard
• CB Amik Robertson
• S Daniel Thomas

And they’ve added:

• QB Teddy Bridgewater
• RB Isiah Pacheco
• TE Tyler Conklin
• WR Greg Dortch
• OT Larry Borom
• C Cade Mays
• iOL Juice Scruggs
• EDGE DJ Wonnum
• EDGE Payton Turner
• LB Damone Clark
• CB Roger McCreary
• DB Christian Izien

It’s hard to do the math, but any way you slice it, it’s hard to see the gain/loss as a net positive.

Given that the Lions finished last year just 9-8, tied for last in the division, it’s understandable for some to view the 2026 Detroit Lions as a team that cannot contend for the Super Bowl.

But is that really true? Are there other ways the Lions can improve upon last season beyond personnel changes? Can improvements in coaching, strength of schedule, injury luck, and youth development be enough to propel the Lions back into Super Bowl relevancy in 2026? And could they be just a few more additions—including in the draft—away from pushing those gains/losses into a positive?

Additionally, how much worse did they actually get? Are some of the “downgrades” being overblown? Are fans forgetting about just how strong the core of this team is? Or are there just too many serious questions for this team to overcome?

On this week’s PODcast, we recap last week’s free agency signings, including DJ Wonnum, Greg Dortch, Damone Clark, and Payton Turner. Then we turn our attention to these bigger questions about the 2026 Lions. Are they doomed for a reset season, or can they realistically compete? We also take a brief look around the NFC and see how other contenders have approached the offseason.

All that and a whole lot more on this week’s episode. As always, you can catch the show on whatever podcasting platform you prefer by searching “Pride of Detroit.” Or you can just listen in the embedded player below:

Not a podcast fan? You can still catch video of our discussion over on YouTube and Twitch. There we have bonus content, including more Lions talk in between breaks, and a long discussion about Ryan Mathews eating 100 chicken nuggets. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and TikTok for clips of the show and more!