Roundtable: Favorite, Least Favorite Moment of Lions' 2025 Season

1. What was your reaction to Brad Holmes’ media session?

Christian Booher: I thought it was interesting to hear Holmes discuss the challenges of the season, as well as give context to some of the injury issues that have plagued the team. This is a pivotal offseason for Detroit, and as a result Holmes' methods will be tested. He was somewhat cryptic as to the direction of the team this offseason, as he typically is, but the goal for the team remains the same. Holmes' end of season media session offered minor clues, but his actions in free agency and the draft will speak much louder throughout the offseason than his words this week.

Vito Chirco: Honestly, I thought Holmes provided very little substance in his season-ending media session. I was also disappointed to hear Holmes stand by his overall roster decision-making, including his lack of activity and aggressiveness in both free agency and at the trade deadline.

I feel like the front-office executive hindered the Lions’ ability to take the next step and become legitimate Super Bowl contenders because of his unwillingness to supplement the roster with external talent. And he didn’t seem like he’s willing to change his roster-building ways headed into the upcoming offseason. That, to me, was disappointing and could continue to hold the Lions back in 2026 (and beyond).

2. Do you think David Montgomery will return in 2026?

Booher: I'm torn on how I think the Lions should proceed regarding Montgomery and his future. On one hand, I think he still has a lot of value as a change of pace back to pair with Jahmyr Gibbs. However, I'm also not blind to the fact that he may want out if he's not going to be featured as much as previous years. For Detroit, there will need to be an evaluation as to whether they feel good enough about Sione Vaki or a running back in this year's draft class to justify moving on from Montgomery this offseason. The team just signed him to a two-year extension, so it would be a stark change of direction, but one that wouldn't necessarily surprise me at this point.

Chirco: At this present juncture, I’m going to say no. Based on how the season transpired and Holmes’ season-ending press conference, I believe that the organization is readily prepared for life after Montgomery. I’m not saying it’s the right decision or the decision that I would make if I were in charge of the organization. However, I am saying that the two parties certainly could be headed toward a divorce this offseason.

3. What was your favorite moment of the 2025 season?

Booher: I will give two moments, an individual highlight and my favorite performance. For my individual highlight, I'm going with Jahmyr Gibbs' breathtaking run on the first snap of overtime against the New York Giants to put the exclamation point on what was an unbelievable performance from the third-year back. In a back and forth exciting game, Gibbs' run was electrifying and fulfilling after the team struggled to put away a pesky Giants team. As for the best performance, I will go with the team's Week 3 win over Baltimore. That game featured plenty of twists and turns, but it was viewed as an early season statement. Obviously, things turned out much differently than expected as both teams missed the playoffs, but at the time it was an exciting game that looked like it would kickstart the Lions' season.

Chirco: It’s not a specific moment per se. However, I’m going to go with the Lions sweeping the season series with Ben Johnson and the Bears, including blowing out the Bears at home in Week 2, 52-21. The Week 2 victory was arguably the most gratifying of the entire campaign. Yet, at the same time, it woke up Johnson’s squad, which lost just four more times the rest of the season en route to capturing the NFC North division crown.

4. What was the lowest moment of the Lions’ season?

Booher: There were plenty of disappointing moments throughout the second half of the season, but the ultimate defining point of the season came on Christmas when they lost to the Minnesota Vikings. It was a disappointing performance, as the offense turned the ball over six times, and the defense gave up big plays down the stretch. More than that, Detroit scored just 10 points and lost to a Vikings team starting an undrafted rookie backup quarterback who threw for just 51 yards.

Chirco: I agree with Christian. It had to be the Lions’ dismal performance on Christmas Day against the Vikings, a backbreaking loss which eliminated Dan Campbell’s squad from postseason contention. And to make matters worse, it came against a backup quarterback (Max Brosmer) who threw for just 51 yards in the Week 17 contest. That right there was rock bottom for the Lions in 2025.

5. What odds do you give the Lions to land Mike McDaniel as OC?

Booher: I know McDaniel will be a hot commodity on the coaching market, and as a result the Lions will need to really sell him on coming to coach their offense. I think he will try to evaluate the market for head coaching opportunities, which could cause somewhat of a wait for the ultimate decision on whether or not he comes to Motown. The Lions may not be willing to wait that long, and as a result I am fairly pessimistic on the chances of him coming to Detroit to be the offensive coordinator. I'll give it 30 percent odds that the Lions make the former Dolphins head coach their new offensive coordinator.

Chirco: I’m going to give the Lions a slightly over 50 percent chance to land McDaniel this offseason. Sure, the former Miami Dolphins head man could very well grab one of the various current head coach openings. However, if he doesn’t, I believe he becomes the favorite to become the next offensive coordinator in Motown. I believe that Detroit is going to heavily pursue the 42-year-old and prioritize hiring him to replace John Morton.

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