The Super Bowl is in the books which means another NFL season is officially behind us. It’s officially the offseason for all 32 teams. But not before one final set of power rankings from The Athletic for the season and to start the 2025 campaign.
The Lions still checked in quite high, despite a disappointing exit and not winning a single postseason game after earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. Detroit lands at No. 4 for The Athletic entering the offseason.
“Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn are gone, to the Bears and the Jets, respectively,” wrote Josh Kendall of The Athletic. “In their place, Dan Campbell has hired John Morton to run the offense and promoted Kelvin Sheppard to run the defense. Detroit has won 27 games in the last two regular seasons combined, but this transition will be one of the toughest tests of Campbell’s tenure, which enters Year 5 next season.”
The Lions are the second-highest NFC in these rankings. In front of them, obviously, are the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, who took the top spot after a dominant performance against the Kansas City Chiefs, who came in at No. 2, to end their hopes at a three-peat.
The Buffalo Bills, this year’s AFC runners-up, were No. 3 and rounding out the top five, the Baltimore Ravens.
Detroit will have most of their core back next season as well as plenty of players coming back from injury. How the new coordinators adjust will be key but the Lions will undoubtedly be in the mix to represent the NFC in Super Bowl 60 in San Francisco.