Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions were one half away from reaching their first Super Bowl in franchise history before blowing a 17-point lead to the San Francisco 49ers in last year’s NFC Championship Game.
The Lions — fresh off a 12-5 season and with every key player returning — have even higher expectations heading into the 2024 season, even with the division rival Green Bay Packers lurking and the Chicago Bears retooled. Still, the Lions’ eternally energetic leader shot down speculation that he’s viewing it as a Super Bowl-or-bust season for Detroit.
“I don’t see bust,” Campbell told reporters Thursday. “I see Super Bowl. I don’t know what the ‘bust’ is.”
The Lions have spent this offseason securing their strengths and shoring up their biggest weakness from last season. Detroit retooled its cornerback position by acquiring veteran Carlton Davis in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and selecting Alabama’s Terrion Arnold and Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw Jr. with its first two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Lions also handed major extensions to three key players — quarterback Jared Goff, offensive lineman Penei Sewell and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. They also extended the contracts of Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes.
“You’ve got to set yourself up — no different than last year — there [are] certain things you’ve got to do to really make that valid, make that a reality,” Campbell said. “Ultimately, that’s what we want to do. Now to do that, you need to get yourself the best odds you can. You need to win the division, you need to get the best seeding you possibly can.
“How do you do that? You start with where we’re at now.”
Campbell went on to praise his team’s performance in offseason team activities (OTAs). “They’re grinding. They’re working. We’re in good shape. We’re strong. We’re physical. We’re explosive, and we’re just in the beginning of this.”
The Lions are currently tied with the Cincinnati Bengals for the fourth-shortest odds, at +1300, to win Super Bowl LIX.
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