Lions’ path to Super Bowl contention might be simpler than fans think

The Detroit Lions are two years removed from an NFC Championship appearance and one season removed from a 15-2 campaign that was wrecked by injuries at the worst time. It wasn’t about regression or gameplanning or suddenly falling apart—it was just bad luck.

They still locked up the top seed and had the best record in football. But by the time the playoffs rolled around, the defense was missing key starters everywhere. Guys who mattered most weren’t on the field, and that's the only way to explain what happened against the Washington Commanders.

So when Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report labeled “a healthier roster” as the Lions’ biggest reason for optimism in 2025, it wasn’t anything fans hadn’t already been thinking. But it also validated something that might be getting overlooked: this team just needs to get back to full strength to get back into the Super Bowl conversation.

A clean bill of health is all it took to get Lions fans back onboard

In his breakdown of every team’s most promising storyline into training camp, Knox pointed directly to the defensive injury fallout that derailed Detroit’s postseason hopes. He also outlined why the Lions are in such a promising position now:

“Unfortunately, those injuries were too much to overcome in the playoffs, and the Lions experienced an early exit at the hands of the upstart Washington Commanders," Knox wrote.

"The good news is that the Lions are far healthier now than they were at the end of last season. While McNeill (torn ACL) may miss the start of the season, Davis (broken jaw) was replaced by D.J. Reed, and both Davenport (triceps) and Hutchinson (fractured leg) should be healthy.

The Lions will have to stay healthy to compete for a Super Bowl. But with a mostly healthy roster heading into camp, they have little reason to believe that they can’t make their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history next February.”

Knox is right about the overall picture. The larger point stands: this team is finally getting back to full strength in the trenches. Hutchinson returning to action is everything. Without him, the pass rush disappeared. With him, it’s one of the few units in the league that can swing games on its own. Davenport may still be a question mark, but if he’s healthy, it’s a real boost for the entire defense.

The Lions still have lingering injuries to monitor, but they’re in a far better spot than they were down the stretch last season. The roster isn’t perfect, but there’s finally some stability up front, and that gives Detroit a legitimate shot to pick up right where they left off. Two words are bringing the optimism back: get healthy.