ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell delivered an honest self-assessment to the 2025 season in the wake of the final game.
“Not good enough. We didn’t get in. We underachieved,” Campbell said, while standing before reporters at the Meijer Performance Center on Monday afternoon. “So, not good. I’d give myself a freaking F.”
Although Detroit was able to pull away with a 19-16 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday behind a walk-off field goal by Jake Bates, the Lions still missed the postseason for the first time since 2022 despite finishing 9-8.
The Lions were eliminated from playoff contention following a Week 17 loss at Minnesota on Christmas Day.
The previous time the Lions entered Week 18 already eliminated from playoff contention was during that 2022 season where they managed to eliminate Green Bay with 20-16 win at Lambeau Field, which was veteran QB Aaron Rodgers‘ final game with the Packers.
“It’s hard to believe that this is it,” Campbell said. “It’s going to be a hard pill to swallow watching these teams in the playoffs. But I think you’ve got to watch them. You’ve got to force yourself to do it because that’s a drive to want to be there, be a part of it.”
Campbell and his staff met with players on Monday throughout the morning and afternoon hours for exit interviews, medical evaluation and locker room cleanout where guys were upset with how the season unfolded.
Detroit’s eight losses this season were more than the previous two seasons combined (27-7) as they dealt with injuries, struggles on the offensive line and an inconsistent ground attack, among other issues.
“It hurts, but we didn’t do enough. We didn’t make enough plays. We didn’t win enough games. We don’t deserve to be in the playoffs,” said Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, who topped 1,400 receiving yards this season for the second time of his career.
“That’s just the way it is. We didn’t do enough,” he said. “Hopefully, it does sting. It stings for us to get back here in offseason workouts and training camp that we’re even hungrier than we’ve ever been hopefully that propels us into next year.”
For Detroit, who entered the season with high expectations after clinching the NFC’s No. 1 seed in 2024 in addition to capturing back-to-back NFC North titles, this season was viewed as a disappointment after being early Super Bowl contenders.
However, Campbell trusts that the organization is still headed in the right direction, with their young core intact, but will need to make some necessary adjustments this offseason to improve.
“Now, we fell short this year and look, we all acknowledge that. I know I acknowledge that. It’s bitter. It’s a bitter taste,” Campbell said. “I mean it feels good to win yesterday, but ultimately, it’s frustrating.
“But we’ve got nobody to blame but ourselves. But I really don’t believe we’re that far off,” he said. “There’s a couple of things we can do, and I just want to make sure we go after it. I’m not saying we weren’t hungry, but let’s get that hunger back and we’re going to bring in some guys to compete.”
There could be other major changes on the horizon this offseason as veteran OL Taylor Decker (shoulder) and Dan Skipper (back) are both mulling retirement because of health concerns, while other key contributors such as WR Kalif Raymond, DT DJ Reader, LB Alex Anzalone and CB Amik Robertson are among those entering free agency.
Detroit also currently holds the 17th pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Campbell says he’ll need a few days to think about any potential personnel changes or coaching hires, such as long-term playcalling responsibilities, before making any decisions now that the season is over.
But players remain confident that the Lions’ Super Bowl window hasn’t closed yet.
“We’ve still got a lot of great players on the team and a lot of great coaches, so we’ll get back right,” said Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs, who finished with 18 touchdowns this season. “We just had a couple of mishaps here and there throughout the season and little bumps, but we’ll be fine.”
