Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes Must Address These Major Issues

Brad Holmes, you've got some explaining to do.

The Detroit Lions disappointed, frustrated and absolutely underachieved in 2025.

Dan Campbell's squad entered the season with legitimate Super Bowl expectations, coming off a 15-victory, NFC North-winning 2024 campaign.

Detroit also started off the season on the right foot, winning four of its first five games. This promising stretch of play was highlighted by a 52-21 blowout of the Bears in Week 2 and a 38-30 win over the Ravens on Monday Night Football the following week.

The Lions proceeded to enter their Week 8 bye with a 5-2 record and in second place in the NFC North, with a third consecutive playoff berth readily attainable.

Yet, things began to go south the following week, when Campbell & Co. were upset by the then last-place Vikings at Ford Field, 27-24. It was a dismal performance from Detroit, which never fully recovered despite multi-touchdown victories against the Commanders and the Cowboys in Weeks 10 and 14, respectively.

In fact, after the Week 8 bye, the Lions went just 4-6, and for the most part looked like anything but a playoff-caliber team. And things officially hit rock bottom on Christmas Day, when they suffered a second straight defeat at the hands of Minnesota (and this time with Vikings backup Max Brosmer under center). Brosmer threw for just 51 yards in the holiday tilt, a backbreaking loss for the Lions which officially eliminated them from postseason contention.

No ifs, ands, or buts about it, Detroit regressed heavily in 2025. And no, you can't blame it all on the rash of injuries that the Lions suffered for a second consecutive season. That would hardly tell the full story, and it would let Holmes off the hook far too easily.

Holmes’ recent string of lackluster personnel decisions cost the Lions dearly this season. There's no doubt he should be held accountable, and asked plenty of questions about it during his season-ending media session this week.

Furthermore, Holmes needs to address the regression and how he plans on building the Lions back into a legitimate playoff contender this coming offseason.

He should start by rebuilding the offensive line. The line never recovered from losing its anchor, Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow, and the run game, although still productive, was not nearly as efficient as it was a year ago. Detroit, for example, failed to produce 100 total rushing yards on seven separate occasions in 2025, six more times than the season prior.

The Lions also endured inconsistent play from their guards (primarily Christian Mahogany at left guard and Tate Ratledge at right guard) and the weekly presence of left tackle Taylor Decker on the injury report. And there's a decent chance that Decker, a staple on the Lions’ offensive line since 2016, decides to retire this offseason.

“You can't play football forever, and it will be challenging. But, I'm going to need to find, if that is the decision that I make, what the opportunity could be in that for me and I think that would make all of that easier,” an emotional Decker told reporters after Detroit's Week 18 win over the Bears. “But, as of right now, all I've done is I've played football forever. Like I said, it’s always what I've done. I've played offensive line since 2002. That's all I've played. And then I'm a fortunate player who's got to be on one team. I've got to be here for 10 years. I take a lot of pride in that, and I think that makes it weigh heavy on my heart even more.”

Subsequently, Holmes & Co. should prepare for life after Decker, and make a concerted effort to revamp the offensive line in the coming months.

Now, the question is: How will the fifth-year GM go about doing so?

One option certainly will be through the 2026 NFL Draft.

With their season-ending victory against Ben Johnson and Chicago, the Lions are now slated to pick at No. 17 overall in the first round of this April's draft, per Tankathon. If Holmes sticks with the pick, he could feasibly select either Miami (Fla.)’s Francis Mauigoa or Alabama's Kadyn Proctor, both of whom would be viable replacements for Decker.

The veteran front-office executive should also be pressed on his plan to find a suitable running mate for Pro Bowl EDGE Aidan Hutchinson.

Since the day Hutchinson was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2022 draft, Holmes has repeatedly failed to provide Campbell with a legitimate pass-rushing threat opposite the University of Michigan product.

It has hindered the Lions’ ability to sustain any kind of effectiveness as a pass-rushing unit. Plus, it has led to the team's defense having issues getting off the field time and time again.

Holmes, more often than not, has tried to address the need by shopping at the thrift store for EDGE defenders, most notably signing Marcus Davenport in back-to-back offseasons.

Davenport was hardly the answer for Detroit the past two seasons, however. He struggled to stay on the field, suiting up for just 10 total games, and was largely ineffective, recording a measly 1.5 sacks.

Just like with the offensive line, Holmes could very well turn to the draft to fill the void at EDGE. If he does, Texas Tech's David Bailey would be a worthwhile target. Bailey amassed 14.5 sacks in his final season with the Red Raiders, and earned a variety of accolades for his efforts, including AP All-America first-team honors.

All in all, Holmes, with Campbell's help, has done a solid job of establishing a winning culture in the Motor City. He has his fingerprints all over this current iteration of the Lions, which has recorded four straight winning seasons for the first time since 1969-72.

While Holmes should be commended for such, it's no longer good enough in Detroit to simply post a winning record. Because of the organization's recent success (e.g. 27 total wins and two straight division crowns from 2023-24), expectations have skyrocketed among Lions fans. The rabid fanbase now expects Detroit to compete for a Super Bowl, and will accept nothing less from its football team.

Detroit fans, which have experienced plenty of lowlights over the years, including an 0-16 2008 campaign, have every right to feel that way, too.

Consequently, the onus is now on Holmes and the front office to put the Lions in position to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in 2026.

And the stage has been set for the biggest season-ending press conference and the most important offseason of Holmes’ tenure as Detroit GM.

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