As New Season Nears, Detroit Lions Face Fresh Doubts Amid Coordinator Departures and Draft Questions Despite Rising Expectations

As the summer sun blazes and training camp draws closer, anticipation swells in Detroit. The Lions, once the NFL’s perennial underdogs, now find themselves in unfamiliar territory—scrutinized as contenders. Their rise from irrelevance to playoff promise has given fans reason to dream, but those dreams are shadowed by lingering questions that have only intensified with each passing week of the offseason.

While optimism remains high among the faithful at Ford Field, recent offseason grades and outside evaluations have introduced an uneasy pause. The 2025 NFL season promises to be a proving ground for a franchise that has captured national attention—and with that spotlight comes pressure, doubt, and the demand for answers.

At the center of this storm is a team that defied expectations in 2024, reaching the NFC Championship Game and coming within a breath of the Super Bowl. That campaign was driven by Dan Campbell’s hard-nosed philosophy, Jared Goff’s steady hand, and a pair of coordinators—Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn—who became the brains behind the brawn. But as the new season dawns, the Lions are without both.

Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator largely credited with rejuvenating Goff’s career and engineering a top-five offense, accepted a head coaching role elsewhere. Aaron Glenn, who helped reshape Detroit’s maligned defense into a respectable unit, is also gone. Their departures mark the end of a coaching era that brought stability to a team long defined by chaos. In their place are fresh faces, promoted lieutenants, and untested combinations—each bringing both potential and uncertainty.

Detroit’s front office, led by general manager Brad Holmes, remains confident in its plan. Holmes made headlines in April’s NFL Draft, but not all the headlines were glowing. National pundits raised eyebrows at several selections, questioning the team’s prioritization of depth players over perceived needs at cornerback and defensive end. Mekhi Wingo, a high-motor interior lineman from LSU, was chosen higher than many draft analysts expected. While Holmes has proven in the past that he’s willing to go against the grain—and has often been right—the scrutiny has been louder this time.

Offseason grades from various outlets have placed the Lions somewhere in the middle of the pack, a jarring contrast for a team expected to challenge for the NFC crown. The criticism hasn’t been harsh, but it has been consistent: the Lions didn’t do enough to separate themselves in a loaded conference. While Philadelphia reloaded, Dallas retooled, and San Francisco remained a juggernaut, Detroit stood pat.

Still, there’s logic behind the Lions’ approach. Holmes and Campbell have built a roster steeped in continuity. Jared Goff is returning with one of the most complete offensive lines in football. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery form a dynamic one-two punch in the backfield. Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to ascend into stardom, and Sam LaPorta, the breakout tight end from last season, remains a nightmare for opposing defenses.

On the defensive side, Aidan Hutchinson is poised for another leap, and the team hopes its young core—including Jack Campbell, Brian Branch, and Kerby Joseph—can mature into elite-level playmakers. But even with the talent in place, the Lions’ challenge lies not in overcoming doubt—but in managing expectations.

The NFL is a league with a short memory. A team that rises one season is expected to climb higher the next. Detroit’s magical run in 2024 earned them the respect they long craved, but that respect has now morphed into pressure. The Lions are no longer playing with house money. Every opponent will bring their best. Every misstep will be magnified. Every coaching decision will be questioned.

And that’s where the loss of coordinators becomes more than just a footnote. Johnson’s absence looms large. His play-calling mastery turned Detroit into one of the most efficient and creative offenses in football. Goff flourished under his guidance, playing some of the best football of his career. The new offensive coordinator, Tanner Engstrand, inherits both the scheme and the expectations—but little margin for error.

On defense, the team promoted Derrick Ansley, a respected mind, but one who now faces the difficult task of crafting a unit that can consistently stop the NFC’s top offenses. There’s talent on the roster, yes—but there’s also fragility. In key moments last year, the Lions’ defense struggled to get off the field. If those patterns repeat in 2025, the whispers of concern will become roars.

Yet for all the outside noise, the locker room remains resolute. Leaders like Goff, Hutchinson, and Frank Ragnow have embraced the pressure, calling it a sign of progress. “This is where we’ve wanted to be,” Goff told reporters this spring. “You want to be the hunted. It means you’re doing something right.”

Dan Campbell’s voice remains the one fans trust most. His message has been consistent: the climb isn’t over. “We haven’t arrived,” Campbell said during OTAs. “We took a step last year. That’s all it was. If we’re not better, we’re gonna get beat. Simple as that.”

The fanbase, famously loyal and long-suffering, has embraced the team’s new reality with cautious optimism. Season ticket sales are at a record high. National TV appearances are up. Merchandise is flying off the shelves. But in Detroit, no one forgets the scars of the past.

To win now, the Lions must do something they’ve never done before: sustain success. No surprise seasons. No plucky underdog stories. Just consistency. Just dominance. Just wins.

And that brings us back to the biggest challenge of all—living up to the hype. It’s easy to surprise people when they expect nothing. It’s hard to meet expectations when everyone’s watching.

The 2025 campaign won’t be defined by one game or one stretch. It will be defined by whether the Lions can respond to adversity, adapt to change, and stay hungry despite the praise. It will be defined by the growth of young stars and the leadership of veterans. It will be defined by whether a team that once clawed for respect can now command it.

Detroit’s story is no longer about chasing glory. It’s about proving they belong in the elite class of the NFL. That means weathering coordinator changes. That means justifying draft decisions. That means silencing the doubters.

Because in the NFL, relevance is earned—not given.

And this fall, the Detroit Lions have everything to lose—and even more to prove.