Lions GM Will Not 'Sleep Well' Until Super Bowl Delivered to Sheila Hamp

Detroit Lions general manager is still driven to reach Super Bowl goals.

Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp talks to general manager Brad Holmes during organized team activities | Junfu Han via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Detroit Lions path to securing their first-ever Super Bowl took a major detour in 2025.

Despite the organization being better aligned and the roster having significantly more talent, the team has regressed since appearing in the NFC Championship game in 2023.

Last season, the team did not advance past their first NFL playoff game and followed it up in 2025 by not even making the postseason at all.

Ownership has not spoken publicly about the 2025 season and what the reaction is to taking step backwards this year.

Lions On SI asked general manager Brad Holmes if he and Dan Campbell have had discussions with principal owner and chair Sheila Ford Hamp, and if she has expressed more urgency to him to reach the Super Bowl.

“Yeah, we have had conversations with her. I’ll keep that privately but always the hope is to get to a Super Bowl and win a Super Bowl. That’s not changed going forward this year. That’s obviously been the goal the past couple years, so that still remains," said Holmes. "It’s not only – I don’t even need to hear that from her. I’m the one that, that’s on my mind constantly is having the ability to put that trophy in her hands. I don’t sleep well at night unless that happens, and she’s aware of that. But yeah, we’ve had conversations. The great thing about her is she’s always consistent. But yeah, we’ll just keep the details private.”

Holmes took accountability for the team regressing, and indicated the front office likely needed to take a long, hard look at what caused the elevated goals to not come close to being met.

"I have to do a better job. Obviously, haven’t been good enough," said Holmes. "And look, I’m always going to look inwards. So, early stages but already started to identify some things that I can definitely do better and we’re going to collectively just have to look at everything from top to bottom and just really be honest and just take that long, hard look.

"Really that’s probably the only light that may come out of this darkness, I would say," Holmes added. "When you have these kind of results, you don’t have a choice. You’re forced to look at everything long and hard and truthful and honestly, all in efforts to improve our football team and just kind of re-calibrate this thing to just play more consistent football.”