Things are grim for the Detroit Lions.
After Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Lions are on life support. The Lions not only need to win their remaining two games, but they need outside help as well. Regardless of whether the Lions beat the odds and squeak their way into the playoffs, this season has been a significant disappointment on the heels of a 15-2 season.
If you had to pinpoint the source of this season’s struggles, what would you pick as the reason for it all?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
What went wrong for the Detroit Lions?
My answer: Injuries.
For the second season in a row, a promising Lions season was derailed by an onslaught of injuries. In 2024, the Lions overcame these injuries thanks to an otherworldly offense, but the cracks in the defense that had built up over the season grew too large come playoff time—one bad game from the offense, and it was all over. In 2025, the Lions experienced a similar wave of injuries, but this time around, the offense could not carry them. The similarities between the seasons are uncanny, both ending with different forms of disappointment.
For all of the criticism that will (rightfully) be levied at the coaching staff, the front office, and the players, injuries are what truly cost the Lions a shot at the playoffs. It started last season when Alim McNeill tore his ACL, an injury that prevented him from playing for a chunk of 2025. Then came the Frank Ragnow retirement, a retirement undoubtedly accelerated by multiple career injuries. For a team that lives with trench domination, the Lions lost two of their best. This does not even include Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal, and Ennis Rakestraw, three former second-round defenders who each wound up missing all of 2025 before playing a snap.
Over the course of the season, the Lions lost more key players. Sam LaPorta had a serious back injury pop up out of nowhere. The Lions lost Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, two Pro Bowl-caliber safeties. Terrion Arnold encountered a multitude of injuries in a sophomore season where very little went right. D.J. Reed missed crucial time with an injury of his own, leaving the Lions desperate at cornerback. Graham Glasgow and Taylor Decker have battled injuries throughout the season, while Christian Mahogany suffered a fractured leg.
On paper, the Lions had a roster capable of challenging for a Super Bowl, but how do you plan for this many injuries? It’s easy to say that the Lions should have signed another big-name cornerback, but what team expects to lose three of their top four cornerbacks over the course of a season? A team can only acquire so many depth pieces—the fact of the matter is that starting-caliber players are rare for a reason.
A lot went wrong for the Lions this season, but it mainly boils down to injuries. The offensive line has not been healthy, seriously impacting the run game efficiency. Without a dominant run game, the passing attack has faltered. Without LaPorta, the Lions lost one of their top safety nets, an important piece when the offense is struggling. When the offense is struggling, the burden falls on the defense to keep games close. Without a healthy defense, everything falls apart.
The Lions aren’t just losing players to injuries. They are losing key parts of their identity. The coaches deserve blame for not adapting to these injuries, sure, but there are only so many ways that a preseason-caliber depth chart can succeed in the regular season. The Lions’ offense was dynamic last season, but it was also an above-average unit when it came to health. If Ben Johnson were still the offensive coordinator in 2025, this offense would still have taken a step back. As for the defense, Kelvin Sheppard is a repeat of Aaron Glenn: a well-respected coach who has looked out of their element in the face of brutal strings of injuries. Maybe a better set of coaches results in the Lions making the playoffs, but there is only so much coaching can do when key players are falling left and right.
Detroit will have some difficult questions to face in the coming months. The sad and frustrating part is that even if they nail their offseason via free agency and the draft, all it takes is more bad injury luck to derail yet another campaign.
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