Lions Fans Hope To See Starters Vs. Bengals… But Not Much Of Them

Earlier this week, we published our latest SB Nation Reacts survey, sponsored by the folks at FanDuel Sportsbook, and asked Detroit Lions fans:How much should Lions’ starters play in the first preseason game?

The Lions will be traveling to Cincinnati next Thursday night to take on the Bengals in both teams’ first preseason game of 2026. Detroit has taken a back-to-basics approach to the offseason, and through the first 10 days of training camp, they’ve stayed true to their words. However, coach Dan Campbell said that while he would like to play his starter in the preseason, he has yet to make a decision on that matter.

While Campbell is still debating playing his starters against the Bengals, Lions fans have weighed in on the topic:

A whopping 95% of the fan base would like to see the Lions starters play a quarter of the game or less, with the majority of fans looking for them to play just a series or two. Just one percent of the voters are hoping to not see the starters at all.

Let’s take a look at the comment section of our original article andThe Feed post to see fans’ explanations for their selections (lightly edited for clarity).

• Professor Holmes: “A series or two is what I would prefer. Coach C should know best, though.”
• Itsbeen55years: “1 or 2 series at most…. but I think the O-line should be out for a quarter or so. I know it’s risky, but I would love to see the O-line in sync with each other for the start of the season.”
• Defend The Den: “A series or 2 should be enough for the starters to get their feet wet, while also limiting their risk for injury. The majority of the game should be for evaluating the roster bubble players and getting the new faces some live game team chemistry.”
• Schmipper: “Starters need to play. New coaches, new schemes, new personnel. I say one quarter for the first game and go from there.”
• Marvol: “Full quarter in the first 2 games. If they score twice before the quarter ends, take them out. Defense plays a whole quarter unless they get 2 three-and-outs back to back.”

As a reminder, this survey was sponsored by the folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook, who currently have the Lions listed as +1900 to win this year’s Super Bowl, +900 to win the NFC Championship, and +150 to win the NFC North as the current favorites.

Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Detroit Lions fans and fans across the country. If you want to receive these surveys by email weekly, you can sign up here.