2026 Detroit Lions season
97th season in franchise history
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026 season is the Detroit Lions' 97th in the National Football League (NFL) and their sixth under the tandem of general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell. The Lions are attempting to improve upon their 9–8 record from the previous season and return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.
.png)
| 2026 Detroit Lions season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Sheila Ford Hamp |
| General manager | Brad Holmes |
| Head coach | Dan Campbell |
| Home stadium | Ford Field |
| Results | |
| Record | 3–2 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC North |
| Uniform | |
| |
Player movements
Free agents
| Position | Player | Free agency tag |
Date signed | 2026 team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Additions
| * | = Practice squad signings |
Pre-Season
Regular Season
| Position | Player | Previous team | Date | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OG | Elijah Klein | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | August 31 | [26] | |
| CB | Natrone Brooks | Atlanta Falcons | September 10 | [27] | |
| S | Bishop Fitzgerald | Pittsburgh Steelers | September 22 | [28] | |
| NT | Jeffrey M'Ba | Washington Commanders | October 8 | [29] | |
Releases
Pre-Season
Regular Season
| Position | Player | 2026 team | Release date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Seth McLaughlin | Detroit Lions | September 2 | |
| RB | Jabari Small | Detroit Lions | September 2 | |
| DT | Levi Onwuzurike | Detroit Lions | September 11 | |
| DT | Tyre West | September 11 | ||
| LB | Joe Bachie | Detroit Lions | September 22 | |
| CB | Natrone Brooks | Minnesota Vikings | September 28 | |
| LB | Jalen Mills | October 13 | ||
Players traded
| Position | Player | New Team | Trade date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | David Montgomery | Houston Texans | March 11 | [37][38] |
Retirements
| Position | Player | Date retired | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| OT | Dan Skipper | January 22, 2026 | [39] |
| QB | Teddy Bridgewater | August 9, 2026 | [40] |
| OT | Jamarco Jones | August 12, 2026 | |
Draft
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Blake Miller | OT | Clemson | |
| 2 | 44 | Derrick Moore | EDGE | Michigan | From Cowboys via Jets[A] |
| 50 | Traded to the New York Jets[A] | ||||
| 3 | 81 | Traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars[B] | |||
| 100 | Traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars[B] | 2020 Resolution JC-2A selection[C] | |||
| 4 | 118 | Jimmy Rolder | LB | Michigan | |
| 4 | 128 | Traded to the New York Jets[A] | From Texans[D] | ||
| 5 | 157 | Keith Abney II | CB | Arizona State | |
| 168 | Kendrick Law | WR | Kentucky | Compensatory selection[43] | |
| 181 | Traded to the Buffalo Bills[E] | ||||
| 6 | 199 | Traded to the Cleveland Browns[F] | |||
| 205 | Skyler Gill-Howard | DT | Texas A&M | From Jaguars[G] | |
| 213 | Traded to the Buffalo Bills[E] | From Seahawks via Jaguars[B] | |||
| 7 | 222 | Tyre West | DL | Tennessee | From Browns[F] |
| 233 | Traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars[H] | ||||
Draft trades
- The Lions traded a second-round selection (50th overall) and a fourth-round selection (128th overall) to the New York Jets in exchange for a second-round selection (44th overall).
- The Lions received Resolution JC-2A third-round selections in the 2025 and 2026 drafts as the result of former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn being hired as the New York Jets' head coach in the 2025 off-season.[42]
- The Lions traded RB David Montgomery to the Houston Texans for a fourth-round selection (128th overall), a 2027 seventh-round selection and C Juice Scruggs.
- The Lions traded a fifth-round selection (181st overall) and a sixth-round selection (213th overall) to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a fifth-round pick (168th overall).
- The Lions traded a sixth-round selection and a 2025 fifth-round selection to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a seventh-round pick (222nd overall) and EDGE Za'Darius Smith.[44]
- The Lions traded WR Tim Patrick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a sixth-round selection (205th overall).[45]
- The Lions traded a conditional seventh-round selection (233rd overall) to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for K Riley Patterson.[46]
| Name | Position | College | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Altmyer | QB | Illinois | [47] |
| Aamaris Brown | DB | UNLV | |
| Kyre Duplessis | WR | Delaware | |
| Erick Hunter | LB | Morgan State | |
| Aidan Keanaaina | DL | California | |
| Miles Kitselman | TE | Tennessee | |
| Anthony Lucas | DE | USC | |
| Eric O'Neill | DE | Rutgers | |
| Melvin Priestly | OL | Illinois | |
| De'Shawn Rucker | CB | South Florida |
Staff
|
| |||||
Current roster
Preseason
The Lions' preseason opponents and schedule was announced on May 14—in conjunction with the release of the regular season schedule.[48]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 13 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 14–16 | 0–1 | Paycor Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 22 | Washington Commanders | W 17–13 | 1–1 | Ford Field | Recap |
| 3 | August 29 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 25–16 | 2–1 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Time (ET) | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | TV | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 13 | 1:00 p.m. | New Orleans Saints | W 31–30 (OT) | 1–0 | Ford Field | Fox | Recap |
| 2 | September 17 | 8:15 p.m. | at Buffalo Bills | L 31–41 | 1–1 | Highmark Stadium | Prime Video | Recap |
| 3 | September 27 | 1:00 p.m. | New York Jets | W 31–24 | 2–1 | Ford Field | Fox | Recap |
| 4 | October 4 | 8:20 p.m. | at Carolina Panthers | L 26–32 | 2–2 | Bank of America Stadium | NBC | Recap |
| 5 | October 11 | 4:25 p.m. | at Arizona Cardinals | W 45–21 | 3–2 | State Farm Stadium | Fox | Recap |
| 6 | Bye | |||||||
| 7 | October 25 | 4:25 p.m. | Green Bay Packers | Ford Field | Fox | |||
| 8 | November 1 | 1:00 p.m. | Minnesota Vikings | Ford Field | Fox | |||
| 9 | November 8 | 1:00 p.m. | at Miami Dolphins | Hard Rock Stadium | Fox | |||
| 10 | November 15 | 9:30 a.m. | New England Patriots |  Allianz Arena (Munich) |
Fox | |||
| 11 | November 22 | 1:00 p.m. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Ford Field | CBS | |||
| 12 | November 26 | 1:00 p.m. | Chicago Bears | Ford Field | CBS | |||
| 13 | December 6 | 1:00 p.m. | at Atlanta Falcons | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | CBS | |||
| 14 | December 13 | 1:00 p.m. | Tennessee Titans | Ford Field | Fox | |||
| 15 | December 20 | 8:20 p.m. | at Minnesota Vikings | U.S. Bank Stadium | NBC | |||
| 16 | December 28 | 8:15 p.m. | New York Giants | Ford Field | ESPN | |||
| 17 | January 3 | 4:25 p.m. | at Chicago Bears | Soldier Field | Fox | |||
| 18 | January 9/10 | TBD | at Green Bay Packers | Lambeau Field | TBD | |||
Notes
- Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
- Networks and times from Weeks 8–17 and dates from Weeks 13–17 are subject to change as a result of flexible scheduling; games in Weeks 10 and 12 are exempt.[49]
- The date, time and network for Week 18 will be finalized at the end of Week 17.[49]
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 30 |
| Lions | 7 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 31 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: September 13
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 62,897
- Referee: Alan Eck
- TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Megan Olivi
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Overtime
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
In their season opener, the Lions hosted the New Orleans Saints. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. After a scoreless second quarter, Detroit led 7–0 at half-time. The Lions scored 14 points in the third quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Gibbs and a 19-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Saints responded with 14 points in the quarter via an eight-yard touchdown run from Kendre Miller and a one-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Shough to Devaughn Vele. The teams exchanged field goals in the fourth quarter, first a 28-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson for New Orleans then a 23-yard field goal by Jake Bates for Detroit. The Saints scored the final points of the quarter via a nine-yard touchdown pass rom Shough to Juwan Johnson to tie the game and force overtime. During overtime, the Lions scored via a four-yard touchdown pass from Goff to St. Brown. The Saints responded with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Shough to Noah Fant, and failed their two-point conversion attempt, making the final score 31–30 in favor of Detroit.
Week 2: at Buffalo Bills
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| Bills | 14 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: September 17
- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 67 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 60,644
- Referee: Ron Torbert
- TV announcers (WJBK/Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
In week 2, the Lions visited the Buffalo Bills. The Bills scored 14 points in the first quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Josh Allen and a 43-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Josh Palmer. The Bills extended their lead in the second quarter via a one-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Dawson Knox. The Lions finally got on the board via an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Jahmyr Gibbs. The Bills responded with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Dalton Kincaid. The Lions scored the final points of the half via a 31-yard field goal by Jake Bates, which made the score 27–10 in favor of Buffalo at half-time. The teams exchanged touchdowns in the third quarter, first a two-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown for the Lions, then a two-yard touchdown run from Allen for the Bills. The Lions opened the scoring in the fourth quarter via a one-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Sam LaPorta. The Bills responded with a one-yard touchdown run from James Cook. The Lions scored the final points of the game via a 27-yard touchdown pass from Goff to St. Brown, making the final score 41–31 in favor of Buffalo. This was Detroit's seventh loss to Buffalo since 2006.
Week 3: vs. New York Jets
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 0 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 24 |
| Lions | 0 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: September 27
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 63,193
- Referee: Brad Rogers
- TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Drew Brees and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
In week 3, the Lions hosted the New York Jets, in what was the Jets' head coach Aaron Glenn’s return to Detroit after previously serving as the Lions' defensive coordinator. After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions opened the scoring in the second quarter via a 30-yard field goal by Jake Bates. The Jets responded with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Geno Smith to Kenyon Sadiq to take their first lead of the game. The Lions scored the final points of the half via a four-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown, which made the score 10–7 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Lions extended their lead in the third quarter via a 17-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. The Jets responded with a 42-yard field goal by Jason Sanders. The Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a one-yard touchdown run from Gibbs. The Jets responded with 14 unanswered points to tie the game--a four-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Jeremy Ruckert, followed by a 23-yard touchdown pass Garrett Wilson with a two-point conversion pass from Smith to Sterling Shepard to tie the game. The Lions scored the final points of the game via an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Gibbs, making the final score 31–24 in favor of Detroit.
With their first home against the Jets since 1997, the Lions improved to 2–1.
Week 4: at Carolina Panthers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 3 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 26 |
| Panthers | 7 | 9 | 13 | 3 | 32 |
at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Date: October 4
- Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 66 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 73,436
- Referee: Clay Martin
- TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
In week 4, the Lions visited the Carolina Panthers. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter via a 54-yard field goal by Jake Bates. The Panthers responded with a 15-yard touchdown run from Chuba Hubbard to take their first lead of the game. The Lions scored another field goal in the second quarter, reducing the Panthers' lead to one point. The Panthers extended their lead via a 32-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Young to Tetairoa McMillan, and a failed point after touchdown. The Lions responded with a one-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs to tie the game. The Panthers regained the lead via a 47-yard field goal by Ryan Fitzgerald with 28 seconds remaining in the half. The Lions scored the final points of the half via a 41-yard field goal by Bates as time expired, tying the score at 16–16 at half-time. The Panthers regained the lead in the third quarter via a ten-yard touchdown pass from Young to McMillan, and another failed point after touchdown. The Lions responded with a 26-yard field goal by Bates, reducing the Panthers' lead to three points. The Panthers responded with a two-yard touchdown run from Hubbard. The Panthers extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a 33-yard field goal by Fitzgerald. The Lions responded with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta. The Lions' attempted comeback failed after turning the ball over on downs with under two minutes remaining in the game, making the final score 32–26 in favor of Carolina.
Week 5: at Arizona Cardinals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 0 | 24 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
| Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
at State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: October 11
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/1:25 p.m. MST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 60,968
- Referee: Carl Cheffers
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston and Allison Williams
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
|
In week 5, the Lions visited the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals opened the scoring in the first quarter via a two-yard touchdown pass from Jacoby Brissett to Teagan Quitoriano. After not scoring in the first quarter, the Lions scored 24 unanswered points in the second quarter. First, a one-yard touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs. On the next drive, Jared Goff delivered a 38-yard touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta on fourth down. Jameson Williams then caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Goff, also on a fourth down. Jake Bates scored the final points of the half via a 46-yard field goal, which made the score 24–7 in favor of Detroit at half-time. The Lions extended their lead in the third quarter via a 39-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Williams, for his second touchdown reception of the day. The Cardinals responded with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Brissett to Quitoriano, for their second touchdown hookup of the game. Before the third quarter ended, Goff ran in a one-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown, the Lions' third fourth down touchdown play of the day. The Lions extended their lead in the fourth quarter via a three-yard touchdown run from Gibbs. This was the seventh consecutive drive by the Lions offense that resulted in points. Arizona scored the final points of the game via a nine-yard touchdown pass from Brissett to Trey McBride, making the final score 45–21 in favor of Detroit. The Lions entered their bye week with a 3–2 record.
Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- Date: October 25
- Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
- Preview
Following their bye week, in week 7, the Lions will host their divisional rival, the Green Bay Packers.
Standings
Division
| NFC North | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Minnesota Vikings | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 109 | 64 | W5 |
| Green Bay Packers | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 104 | 112 | W2 |
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 164 | 148 | W1 |
| Chicago Bears | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 119 | 96 | L1 |
Conference
| Seed | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1 | Minnesota Vikings | North | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2–0 | 4–0 | .320 | .320 | W5 |
| 2 | San Francisco 49ers | West | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 3–0 | 3–0 | .370 | .370 | W5 |
| 3 | New York Giants | East | 3 | 1 | 1 | .700 | 1–0–1 | 2–1–1 | .260 | .200 | T1 |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | South | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 1–0 | 2–1 | .550 | .500 | W1 |
| Wild cards | |||||||||||
| 5 | Green Bay Packers | North | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 1–1 | 2–2 | .520 | .400 | W2 |
| 6 | Chicago Bears | North | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 0–2 | 2–2 | .583 | .429 | W2 |
| 7 | Detroit Lions | North | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 0–0 | 2–1 | .417 | .267 | W1 |
| In the hunt | |||||||||||
| 8 | Seattle Seahawks | West | 3 | 3 | 0 | .500 | 1–1 | 1–2 | .468 | .267 | L2 |
| 9 | Los Angeles Rams | West | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 0–1 | 2–1 | .712 | .550 | W1 |
| 10 | Atlanta Falcons | South | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 1–1 | 2–1 | .542 | .400 | L1 |
| 11 | Philadelphia Eagles | East | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 1–0 | 1–2 | .420 | .150 | L3 |
| 12 | Dallas Cowboys | East | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 1–1 | 1–2 | .440 | .250 | L1 |
| 13 | Washington Commanders | East | 1 | 3 | 1 | .300 | 0–2–1 | 1–2–1 | .481 | .500 | T1 |
| 14 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | South | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 0–0 | 1–2 | .640 | .400 | W1 |
| 15 | New Orleans Saints | South | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 0–1 | 0–3 | .680 | .800 | L3 |
| 16 | Arizona Cardinals | West | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 0–2 | 0–4 | .558 | .000 | L4 |
