Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell encouraged his team to watch the NFL playoffs even though it was going to be a hard pill to swallow knowing they weren't a part of it. Always looking for ways to motivate, Campbell hopes it instills the same drive he has to put his players in a better place to achieve their goals in 2026.
General manager Brad Holmes said shortly after the season concluded that the work has already begun laying the foundation for their offseason plan.
"Early stages, but already started to identify some things that I can definitely do better, and we're going to collectively just have to look at everything from top to bottom and just really be honest and just take that long, hard look," Holmes said.
The sting of missing the playoffs was felt throughout the locker room after the regular season ended, and All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown might have said it best when describing how the players must use the sting of falling short this season to come out on the other side better.
"It hurts. But we didn't do enough. We didn't make enough plays and win enough games. We don't deserve to be in the playoffs," he said. "That's just the way it is. We didn't do enough.
"So, hopefully it does sting. The thing for us is we get back here in offseason workouts and training camp that we're even hungrier than we've ever been and hopefully that propels us into next year."
There's certainly a lot of promise coming back next season with a young, established core that will need to be supplemented with savvy veteran signings and a couple impact rookies.
St. Brown, 26, is one of the leaders of that young core coming off another All-Pro and Pro Bowl season that saw him catch 117 passes for 1,401 yards and 11 touchdowns. He became just the fourth player in NFL history to total at least 110 receptions in three straight seasons.
View photos of the Detroit Lions' rookie class throughout the 2025 season.
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyleik Williams (91) celebrates during an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyleik Williams (91) during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025 in Cincinnati. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyleik Williams (91) during an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyleik Williams (91) in action during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyleik Williams (91) makes a tackle during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026 in Chicago. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69) during an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025 in Baltimore. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69) during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69) and Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69) during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Tate Ratledge (69) during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) catches a touchdown pass during an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) catches the ball and scores a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025 in Cincinnati. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) scores a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) scores a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025 in Minneapolis. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Miles Frazier (71) during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Miles Frazier (71) during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Miles Frazier (71) during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Inglewood, Calif. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Dominic Lovett (19) during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025 in Cincinnati. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Dominic Lovett (19) during an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
While Holmes and Campbell will do all they can to sign, draft and develop a roster capable of competing for a Super Bowl in 2026, St. Brown said it's up to the players, himself included, to make sure they're the ones that do the things necessary to get better and come back stronger.
"At the end of the day, coaches are coaches but players make plays," he said. "So the players we got here, I feel confident in and I'm pretty sure all of us do too."
