When last the Lions won a division it was the NFC Central. Since NFL realignment gave birth to the NFC North in 2002, Detroit has never risen above second place — which has happened five times, including a season ago.
Extending beyond their division-winning drought, the Lions haven’t won a playoff game since 1991, having gone 31 straight seasons without a postseason win. It’s the longest active drought in the NFL. More so, Detroit is a dismal 1-12 in the playoffs during the Super Bowl era, further underscoring just how monumental any playoff success would be for the Lions and the city they represent.
There’s a roster full of optimism as Jared Goff returns at quarterback along with his top wideout, Amon-Ra St. Brown, who’s quickly emerged as one of the best young receivers in the game. A refurbished backfield boasts former Bears back David Montgomery and first-rounder Jahmyr Gibbs.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes sees Gibbs as a “special weapon” and fellow first-rounder Jack Campbell, a middle linebacker, as a future “anchor” of the defense.
Selecting a running back and a middle backer in the first round of the draft was called into question by plenty. It’s a throwback in many ways, putting an emphasis on a pair of positions not valued as they were in yesteryear.
But a throwback to the way, way back might just be what the Lions are hoping for most.
The Lions, who have never reached a Super Bowl, haven’t won an NFL title since they claimed the NFL Championship all the way back in 1957.
One of the greatest linebackers of all time, Hall of Famer Joe Schmidt, was on that team.
Schmidt is the oldest living Hall of Famer player at 91 years young and will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his Hall of Fame enshrinement this year. Schmidt was a rookie in 1953, and the Lions won the championship that year, as well.
From Schmidt to Campbell, history awaits the Lions if they can live up to the hype in 2023.