The Detroit Lions are riding high after a historic resurgence, but heading into the 2025 season, the Motor City’s favorite football team is facing more than just tough competition — they’re staring down a serious internal shift.

The Calm Before the NFL Storm

Minicamp is almost here, the preseason is on the horizon, and fans are buzzing with hope. But behind the scenes, there’s a concern that’s growing louder: staffing. And not just any staff — two of the Lions’ most vital cogs in the machine have moved on.

With offensive guru Ben Johnson now calling plays in Chicago and defensive motivator Aaron Glenn taking his energy elsewhere, head coach Dan Campbell is steering a brand new ship — and there are no guarantees it’ll sail smoothly.

CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin didn’t sugarcoat it, warning that Campbell is entering the 2025 season without his right-hand men, and replicating the magic of the past few years might be, as he put it, “easier said than done.” Think Eagles 2023 — a cautionary tale of what happens when the coaching chemistry gets a shake-up.

A Roster with Promise, A Staff with Questions

Let’s be clear — this team still has Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the freakishly talented Aidan Hutchinson. But the play-calling matters. So does consistency. New faces on the sideline mean new systems, new dynamics, and new learning curves.

Campbell’s leadership — passionate, gritty, unrelenting — has always been the heartbeat of this team. But even the best leaders can’t do it all alone. Building chemistry takes time, and time isn’t exactly a luxury in the NFC this year.

The Player Perspective: Pressure Is Mounting

It’s not just the staff feeling the squeeze. Players like Colby Sorsdal are battling for a roster spot in an increasingly crowded offensive line room. With veterans to beat out and rookies hungry for snaps, the stakes are sky-high — and that’s before we even get to the actual games.

Can the Lions Roar Again?

Detroit has the potential to repeat and even improve on last year’s success — if everything clicks. But that “if” is getting bigger the closer we get to kickoff.

The reality? Coaching transitions are messy. They take time. And in a league where every inch matters, the Lions will have to fight harder than ever to prove their 2023-2024 success wasn’t a fluke.

Dan Campbell still has the keys. But how fast — and how far — this machine runs with new mechanics in the garage remains the question of the season.