Do you approve of the job Lions general manager Brad Holmes has done in four years of work?
When it comes to popular sports figures in Detroit, it doesn’t get much bigger than Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes. Now entering his fifth season with the team, Holmes has built up a roster that is unlike anything we’ve seen in Detroit for at least six or seven decades.
The Lions are coming off their most successful regular season ever, they’ve won back-to-back division titles for the first time since the 1950s, and they’re now entering their third straight offseason with serious Super Bowl aspirations. While the success of the Lions is a credit to many people, Holmes is one of those most responsible. The decisions he’s made in the draft—however unpopular they may have been at the time—have turned out to be almost unanimously successful. His hit rate is so good, it almost feels unsustainable… yet he has sustained it for at least four years.
Just look at his approval rating throughout his tenure:
March 2021 (pre-free agency): 97 percent approval
May 2021 (post-draft): 98 percent
September 2021 (post-cuts): 90 percent
October 2021: 87 percent
November 2021: 79 percent
December 2021: 97 percent
January 2022: 97 percent
March 2022 (pre-free agency): 96 percent
May 2022 (post-draft): 99 percent
September 2022: 95 percent
October 2022: 82 percent
November 2022: 97 percent
January 2023: 99 percent
April 2023 (pre-draft): 98 percent
October 2023: 99 percent
February 2024: 99 percent
May 2024: 99 percent
October 2024: 99 percent
For the past 2.5 years, Holmes’ approval rating has been 97 percent or higher. In my memory, no Lions coach or general manager has ever been that popular for so long.
I do wonder, though, how much patience Lions fans will have if Detroit doesn’t bring home a championship eventually. While the Lions broke all sorts of records last year, their one-and-done performance in the playoffs can only be described as a massive disappointment. It’s hard to blame Holmes for that, considering the massive amount of attrition they had to deal with due to injuries.
Still, there is at least some bubbling frustration among Lions fans these days. Detroit’s tepid approach to free agency—prioritizing re-signings and cap savings over making a big splash signing to make a run at a title—drew some small but audible criticisms. And some—myself very much included—have wondered if Holmes’ over-aggressive approach in the draft with trade ups and big swings on developmental prospects will eventually catch up with him. Complaints about a lack of edge rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson continue to reverberate off radio station walls, as well.
Whether those are truly mistakes on Holmes’ part or just another example of him bucking the norm to his advantage, we’ll have to wait and see. But the current reality is that Holmes has curated one of the best rosters in football. You may have nitpicky complaints about his process, but the results speak for themselves.
Ultimately, though, your vote is your vote. So do you approve of the job Holmes is doing as Lions general manager? Vote in the poll below and share your explanation in the comment section below.
