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Dan Campbell will be straight with his Detroit Lions, for better or worse.
This year did not turn out what many believed it would for the Lions, and Campbell was asked during his end-of-season press conference how he would rate the 2025 campaign.
For a team that was a Super Bowl favorite outside of the NFC in the preseason, Campbell called it like it is for his team.
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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell addresses the media after an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
“It’s not good enough. We didn’t get in, we didn’t get in enough,” he said, according to Yahoo Sports. “So, it’s not good. I’d give it a damn F.”
The Lions were able to get over .500, winning their Week 18 matchup against the Chicago Bears, 19-16. But Campbell has always been a harsh critic of himself as much as he is of his team, so it’s not surprising to hear him rate himself so harshly.
But Campbell knows this is the first time since 2022 that the Lions have missed the playoffs, and a 9-8 season is not the standard now for the franchise.
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The Lions have slowly built into one of the most formidable teams in the league, after going 15-2 last year to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC. However, they certainly fell short of expectations as they were upset by rookie Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders at Ford Field in the Divisional Round.
Two years earlier, the Lions reached the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers after finishing 12-5. They would have also made it to the team’s first Super Bowl if not for a second-half collapse in the Bay Area that saw a miraculous comeback by the 49ers to earn a spot in the Big Game.
Campbell saw a change this past offseason on his coaching staff, with his two top coordinators finding head coaching jobs elsewhere.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell watches the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Matt Kartozian/Image Images)
The most important was Ben Johnson, the offensive genius who unlocked Jared Goff and company, taking over the Bears’ spot in the NFC North. Johnson went from a strong ally to a bitter rival, and Chicago won the division title in his first year.
Aaron Glenn, the Lions’ defensive coordinator under Campbell, did not have the same luck as Johnson, as his New York Jets finished 3-14. Glenn, however, was not among those let go during “Black Monday,” as the Jets remain committed to him at least to begin the 2026 season.
Campbell still can’t believe what happened after such a good start this season. The Lions went 4-1 to start the year, but failed to find consistency after that.
A shocking Christmas Day loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17 ended their playoff hopes.
“It’s hard to believe this is it,” Campbell said. “It’s going to be a tough pill to swallow to see these teams in the playoffs. But I think you have to see them. You have to put in the effort to do it because that’s a drive to want to be there, to be a part of it.”
Head coach Dan Campbell looks on before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Ford Field on September 28, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
There’s no doubt that Campbell will continue to trust his process and his team to get the job done, but he’ll have to wait until September for a chance to hit the playoff target once again.
Campbell just completed his fifth season as head coach of the Lions. He owns a record of 53-43-1 in 97 games.
